


Human Nature

by InAWorldOfMyOwn



Category: Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Smut, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-08 20:09:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1954653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InAWorldOfMyOwn/pseuds/InAWorldOfMyOwn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Abigail agreed to visit her grandfather's latest project, she wasn't quite sure what to expect. His vision of dinosaurs roaming the earth once more seems too good to be true. When things take a turn for the worse, she enlists the help of a new friend in a desperate struggle for survival. The question is... will he prove to be something more? MalcolmxOC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I know I've got a couple of other stories that haven't been worked on for a while, but I recently watched Jurassic Park and I couldn't help myself. I've had a crush on the man since I was five. And I was astounded by the lack of well written Ian Malcolm/OC fic out there! It's quite an injustice really. And so I thrust this upon you. If you've read any of my other stories, you know what to expect. There will be far more than strong sexual notations. We get right into the nitty gritty here my friends! So read if you dare. Any comments are always welcome. There's always room for suggestions. :]

**Name: Abigail Byrne**

**Age: 24**

**Height: 5'10"**

**Hair: Dark brown Mohawk, side-swept bangs; typically work pulled back**

**Eyes: Blue-green**

**Body type: Average per height**

* * *

I'd never been terribly close to my grandfather. As a matter of fact, I hardly knew the man. I was the daughter of his oldest daughter though, so when he invited me to see what he was working on, I felt obligated to accept. Why not take advantage of a chance like this? It was out of the country, for one, something I probably wouldn't achieve on my own for years to come. And quite frankly, who knew how much longer he'd be around? I may as well get to know a little something about the man. It was the summer after all so I wouldn't have to worry about schoolwork and I'd built up enough vacation time at work to do so. It seemed like all the cards were just falling into place. If I had known then what I know now… I probably still would have gone.

"Mommy will be back soon," I told my cat Pudge as I dropped him off at my mom's house. "Be good, you fat little bastard. I love you."

I kissed him on top of his head despite him squirming out of my grip. He ran as far away from me as possible in search of my mom's cats. I just smiled and glanced at my watch. I was about to be running late if I didn't leave now.

"You be careful out there, do you understand?" my mom told me as she gave me a hug and a kiss and ushered me out the door. "You know your grandpa is a little… eccentric. Just be on your best behavior and tell him I said hello."

"Will do," I replied in a rush. "I gotta go! I love you! I'll see you when I get back!"

I hurried back to my Jeep Cherokee and sped off down the road. I pulled a small hair tie off my wrist while I sat at a red light and pulled my Mohawk back into a stubby ponytail on the back of my head. I brushed my long bangs to the left, pinning them back with a bobby pin. I hoped I was dressed okay for the occasion. I was wearing an old pair of light denim shorts, colorful patches of fabric covering up a few of the holes, a white racer back tank top, and a scarlet off the shoulder dolman sweater. It was a light material, so I shouldn't get too warm in it. I made it there just in time. The helicopter was already started. I saw the small frame of my grandfather as he took a seat inside. I made sure my converse were laced tight before making my way down. Someone took my bag from me and I thanked him before ducking and running up to the open door. Everyone looked up in surprise. My grandfather smiled and laughed, getting to his feet.

"Welcome! Welcome!" he said brightly, giving me an awkwardly angled hug as we both stood hunched over. "So glad you could make it! This is my second eldest granddaughter, Abigail."

I blushed a little, hoping my sunglasses would make it less noticeable. "Call me Abby, please," I said with a smile.

"Yes of course, of course. Take a seat now. We're about to take off."

I nodded and situated myself in an empty seat by the window. I fastened my seatbelt and the helicopter took off in relative silence. I was looking out the window at the ocean rushing past below us when my grandpa spoke up once more.

"Introductions!" he said brightly. "Abigail, this is Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler. They'll be inspecting the park."

I flinched at his continued use of my full name but smiled at the two just the same. "Hello! Nice to meet you!"

They nodded and made their greetings and he continued. "This is Gennaro, my lawyer for all intents and purposes, and this is Dr. Ian Malcolm."

He reached around the lawyer between us to shake my hand, which surprised me for some reason. He flashed me a charming smile, chewing incessantly on a piece of gum. "Pleasure to meet you… Abby is it?"

I shook his hand, hoping my palms weren't sweating. "Yes, please. I'd prefer it."

He sat back in his seat smiling still. I blushed again and turned to look back out the window. Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler looked like they were ready to go hiking – khakis, boots, rolled back sleeves. Even the lawyer was wearing shorts. Malcolm, on the other hand was dressed all in black – shirt, leather jacket, and jeans - the top two buttons of his shirt undone. I averted my eyes so I wouldn't stare at his chest. He was wearing glasses and what looked like a considerable amount of hair gel. My God the man was gorgeous though! I did my best to stop glancing at him out of the corner of my eye as he spoke with my grandfather, but I couldn't help it. He was intriguing. I secretly hoped I'd get the chance to get to know him.

He looked at Grant and Sattler and asked, "So you two, um, dig up dinosaurs?"

Sattler laughed and said, "Well-"

"We try to," Grant finished with a smile.

Malcolm sat back, chuckling in amusement. My grandfather threw him an annoyed look.

"You'll have to get used to Dr. Malcolm," he explained, shaking his head. "He suffers from a deplorable excess of personality, especially for a mathematician."

"Chaotician, actually," he corrected. "John doesn't subscribe to chaos, particularly what it has to say about his science project."

I raised an eyebrow and looked away from the window to my grandfather. What exactly was that supposed to mean? What was he up to on this island?

"Codswallop, Ian," he replied. "You've never been able to sufficiently explain your concerns about the island."

"Oh, John, John. Because of the behavior of the system in phase space?"

"A load, if I may say so, of fashionable number crunching."

"Is not."

Malcolm reached out to teasingly squeeze my grandfather's leg. He swatted his hand away in annoyance.

"I do wish you wouldn't do that," he snapped.

"Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant," Malcolm cut in, "you've heard of chaos theory?"

At this point I decided to check out of the conversation. Watching the ocean race past was making my stomach do flips. I put in my headphones to drown out the rhythmic thrum of the blades swirling overhead. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. Hopefully we would be there soon. I felt a tap on my knee and jerked in surprise, sitting up straight. I must have dozed off. My grandfather was retracting his walking stick. I pulled out my headphones and tucked them away, stretching as best as I could.

"Sorry," I muttered through a yawn. "Had a late night."

"We're here!" he said with excitement.

I twisted in my seat to try to see it out the window. Moments later we were flying over the greenest jungle I could have ever imagined. It was beautiful. I smiled and watched the trees rise up to meet us as we descended toward the helicopter pad.

"Bad wind shears," my grandpa continued. "We have to drop pretty fast, so hold on, 'cause it can be just a little thrilling."

The helicopter jerked hard. My eyes widened and I gripped the edge of my seat. Everyone laughed nervously and fastened their seatbelts. Dr. Grant picked up his seat belt, but the two ends were the same. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. How the hell was he going to pull that off?

"No, no, you need that piece over here, and that piece-" my grandpa was trying to explain. "Look, we'll have landed by the time you get it right."

I tried not to smile, but I couldn't help it. Dr. Grant finally just knotted the two incompatible pieces together. He looked up and smiled triumphantly. We were coming down next to a waterfall. Once we landed, someone ran up to open the door. My grandpa climbed out first, followed by Genarro, Dr. Sattler, and Dr. Grant. I tightened the strap of my camera bag and stood hunched over, waiting for Dr. Malcolm.

With a sweep of his arm, he grinned and said, "Ladies first."

I smiled and thanked him, ducking out the door and out of the way of the blades to one of the nearby jeeps. There was a T-Rex skeleton on the doors, accompanied by the words Jurassic Park. I climbed into the back seat with my grandfather and we took off. I looked over my shoulder, the helicopter lifting back into the air. We approached a set of massive gates. Someone was there to open the doors for us. I looked at the high voltage sign, wondering why it was necessary.

Gennaro turned around in his seat, eying me cautiously before he spoke. "The full 50 miles of perimeter fence are in place?"

My grandpa nodded. "And the concrete moats, and the motion sensor tracking systems. Donald, dear boy, relax. Try and enjoy yourself."

He laughed dryly. "Let's get something straight, John. This is not a weekend excursion. This is a serious investigation of the stability of the island. Your investors, whom I represent, are deeply concerned. Forty-eight hours from now, if they're not convinced, I'm not convinced. I'll shut you down, John."

He just chuckled. "In forty-eight hours, I'll be accepting your apologies."

I smiled to myself and my grandpa turned to me. "How's your mother? Everything going well?"

I nodded. "She's doing pretty good. She says hello and she's sorry she couldn't make it. Emily is doing an internship in California, so she couldn't come, but she sends her love."

"Good, good. And you? How have you been?"

"I'm doing well. I'll have my Bachelor's degree by the end of next spring. Things got a little hectic for a while and I had to take some time off. I'm majoring in photography with a minor in film editing. I'm working at a photo studio now, so I'm getting some hands on experience."

I braced myself on the seat in front of me. We had left the path and were racing across grassy hills. My grandpa said something else to me, but I couldn't hear what he said. Something unbelievable had caught my eye. I felt my jaw hanging open, but couldn't force it to stay closed. I looked over at my grandpa sharply. He was watching me, gauging my reaction. He smiled broadly and tapped the driver on the shoulder.

"All right, slow down. Stop, stop, stop!"

As soon as the car had come to a complete halt, I scrambled out onto the grass. I stared up in awe, stumbling forward. Right before my very eyes, there was a dinosaur! A moving, breathing dinosaur! And it was so close. God it was huge. This was impossible. I had to be imagining things. I spun around to look back at my grandpa with a smile. It had to be real. Dr. Grant stood up in his seat and ripped off his hat and sunglasses. He looked like he was about two seconds away from having a heart attack. I looked back at the brachiosaurus on the hill beside us, lazily chewing on leaves high up in the trees. It bellowed loudly and took a few steps toward another tree. The ground quivered beneath my feet with each thundering footstep. I heard Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler scrambling out of the jeep they were in. They walked in my direction wearing similar expressions to what I must be wearing.

"Look at that," Dr. Sattler said breathlessly.

"Um, it's—it's a dinosaur," Dr. Grant said quietly as he pointed.

"Uh-huh."

I watched their exchange briefly before tilting my head back to get a good look at it. I'd never seen anything so amazing in all my life. It brought tears to my eyes. I laughed and glanced back at my grandpa. He was heading toward us, chuckling lightly. He put his hand on my shoulder and I looked back to the treetops. I covered my mouth, trying to stay calm.

"Grandpa," I whispered with another laugh. "This… This is the most beautiful thing… I can't even-"

He smiled and patted me on the back. "No need for words, my dear."

He headed up the hill with Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler. I stayed put, running my hand across my hair. My head was spinning from all the excitement. I saw movement by the lake. Parasaurolophus too? And in a decent sized herd. There were two more brachiosaurs as well wading toward the shoreline. I took a deep breath and shook my hands, trying to calm down.

"This is insane!" I laughed to myself, pulling off my sunglasses. "This has to be dangerous. My God, is it glorious though…"


	2. Chapter 2

I subconsciously touched the bag hanging at my waist. We weren't supposed to take pictures, but how could I possibly pass up an opportunity like this? I sat down in the grass in front of the lead jeep, trying to keep out of sight of the driver. Everyone else had their backs turned to me. I unzipped the case and turned my camera on, pulling it out just enough to see the screen and what I was shooting.

I clicked a few of the brachiosaurus in front of me and was about to snap one of the herds by the lake when someone said quietly, "I thought we weren't supposed to take pictures."

I jumped and looked over sharply. Dr. Malcolm was kneeling beside me with another charming smile on his face. I smiled back and pressed a finger to my lips.

"Like I'd miss out on this," I replied quietly. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to sell them. These are strictly for me. They'll never leave my possession."

He looked over at my grandpa. "Be careful then. I don't think Hammond would be very happy with you if he found out."

He continued to kneel there with me while I took my last shots and put my camera away. We sat in silence for several long seconds before I looked over at him.

"You think this is a terrible idea, don't you?" I asked, pushing myself to my feet.

He laughed, straightening out. "Is it that obvious?"

I was about to say something more when my grandfather called my name. He was coming back toward the jeeps, Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler on his heels.

"Come along, Abigail," he continued cheerfully. I didn't miss the look of contempt he shot Malcolm though.

"We'll continue this later then," Malcolm said quietly.

I blushed and nodded, quickly following my grandpa back to the jeep. As we drove off, I could tell that he wanted to say something. We were on the verge of pulling up to a building when he finally spoke.

"Abigail, my dear," he started off slowly. "Trust that I have your best interest at heart when I say this…" I nodded for him to continue. "Dr. Malcolm is… not the best type of man to take a liking to. He's not a safe investment, shall we say."

I giggled and patted his knee. "Grandpa, I'm 23. I know when a man is talking out his rear and when he's earnest. I'd just like to hear what he has to say is all. I'm not interested in him like that, really."

He smiled and nodded. "Excellent. Good. Ah! Here we are!"

He seemed a little flustered, which made me smile. Glad I could still make my grandfather uncomfortable without knowing him very well. There were men waiting to open our doors once we came to a stop. I took in the fossil detail around the front door. I had to hand it to the man. He had style. The doors opened inward for us.

"G'day, g'day, g'day!" my grandpa exclaimed happily. "Now, the most advanced amusement park in the entire world, incorporating all the latest technologies. And I'm not talking just about rides, you know. Everybody has rides. No, we've made living biological attractions so astounding that they'll capture the imagination of the entire planet."

Work was still being done, but the place looked pretty amazing. There was a massive banner hanging over the entrance hall that read, "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth" and a couple of dinosaur skeletons posed for fighting next to the staircase. It was a little cheesy maybe, but I imagined it would pull together nicely. Malcolm waved me on ahead of him up the staircase. I smiled and followed the group up the stairs. I got the distinct impression that he just wanted to stare at my ass, but I let it slide.

"So what are you thinking?" Dr. Sattler asked Dr. Grant.

He scoffed quietly. "That we're out of a job."

"Don't you mean 'extinct'?" Malcolm chimed in with a small laugh.

I smiled and suppressed my laughter, though no one else seemed especially amused by it. Malcolm fell into step beside me with another chuckle.

"At least someone appreciates my sense of humor," he said quietly.

I tucked my sunglasses into my camera case, glancing up at him. "I have the occasional mindset of a fourteen year old boy. I find a lot of things amusing that I probably shouldn't."

Dr. Grant coughed, though it sounded suspiciously like laughter, and smiled at me over his shoulder. I tucked my hands into my pockets and hurried up the stairs with a smirk. My grandpa led us to a small theater-like room.

"Well, now, why don't you all sit down?" he said eagerly. "Uh, Donald, sit down, sit down."

Again, Malcolm allowed me in first. I could see that I would probably be spending a lot of time near him while I was here. I couldn't say that I minded that much.

"Ah, yes, here he comes," my grandpa continued. "Well, here I come. Yes." He walked up to the screen. "Hello, hello."

Malcolm sat down next to me, brushing against my arm. I felt myself blushing, so I directed my attention to the screen, where a version of my grandfather had appeared. I laughed quietly. The man certainly did love himself. He directed his attention back toward us.

"Say hello," he added. "Say hello."

Everyone said a tentative hello. Malcolm waved and I grinned myself.

"Hello, John," the man on the screen said.

My grandfather came to his senses. "Oh, yes, I've got lines." He reached into his pocket for note cards.

"Well fine, fine, I guess," the man on the screen continued. "But how did I get here?"

"Uh, uh, well, let me show you. First I'll need a drop of blood, your blood."

"Right." He held out his hand and my grandpa pretended to prick it. He jolted and pulled his hand back, looking at his finger. "Ooh! John, that hurt."

I giggled to myself, biting the end of my thumb as I watched with some amusement.

"Relax, John," my grandpa said, "it's all part of the miracle of cloning."

The man on the screen began to multiply one by one, each one greeting each other.

"Cloned from what?" I heard Dr. Grant ask quietly. "Loy extraction has never recreated an intact D.N.A. strand."

"Not without massive sequence gaps," Malcolm answered.

I was beginning to feel a little less than brilliant. I barely knew what they were talking about. I listened in anyway.

"Paleo-D.N.A. from what source?" Dr. Sattler asked in return. "Where do you get 100-million-year-old dinosaur blood?"

Gennaro hushed her and I threw him a look over my shoulder. She had an excellent point. A little animation started up, explaining D.N.A. and its function. I leaned forward, watching eagerly. It was very simple and a little too cutesy for my liking, but I suppose it was geared toward the general public and children. When it got the part about mosquitoes, I raised my eyebrows in surprise and sat back in my seat. It didn't seem like it should be possible and I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't already seen them with my own eyes. Frogs? Mosquitoes and frogs, that was the secret? I laughed to myself in amazement. The things people think of…

"This score is only temporary," my grandpa said. "It all has very dramatic music, of course. Rum-pum-pum! A march or something. It hasn't been written yet. And then, of course, the tour moves on."

The bars in front of us rose up to lock us in. I quickly moved my arms out of the way, glancing over my shoulder at my grandpa. He smiled brightly and motioned for me to turn back around. The seats spun around, slowly taking us past a window into a lab. That silly animation was still narrating. Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant were whispering back and forth excitedly. I heard Gennaro talking to my grandpa, but managed to tune it out. Instead, I closely watched the workers in lab coats going about their business. It all went by pretty quickly.

"Wait a minute," Dr. Grant said quickly. "How do you interrupt the cellular mitosis?"

"Can't we see the unfertilized eggs?" Dr. Sattler asked, turning around in her seat.

I craned my neck to look back at him hopefully.

"Shortly, shortly, shortly," he replied.

Dr. Grant pushed against the bar in his lap. "Can't—Cant' you stop these things?"

"I'm sorry, it's kind of a ride."

Malcolm nodded his head at Dr. Grant and said, "One, two, three."

Everyone started pushing at once. I shrugged my shoulders and started pushing too. I'd love to see how this done. After a few seconds of groaning in protest, the bars lifted. We all got to our feet and filed out, despite the protests of Gennaro. My grandpa laughed lightly and pushed the bars forward for his row as well, following us as we made out way to the lab. He let us in and I bounced eagerly on the balls of my feet. Someone was making an announcement on the intercom, but I didn't need to listen. My eyes were scanning every single person, paper, instrument, and piece of equipment. I didn't know what most of it was, but I felt a great swell of excitement just the same.

"G'day, Henry," my grandfather said as he descended the stairs.

One of the scientists looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Oh, good day, sir."

Everyone started looking around. My eyes were immediately set on a machine turning over eggs on some kind of hay or straw. I made a beeline for it, watching with curiosity. Dr. Grant made his way over shortly after, followed by Dr. Sattler. I smiled up at him, unable to contain my excitement. Were these dinosaur eggs?!

"It's turning the eggs," Dr. Sattler said quietly.

One of the eggs in front of me was starting to wiggle. My eyes widened and I took a step back. I leaned forward eagerly as Dr. Grant made his way around the table for a better look.

"Oh, God," Malcolm muttered, pointing it out to Dr. Sattler.

"Oh, perfect timing," the scientist who had greeted my grandpa said as he approached the table. "I'd hoped they'd hatch before I had to go to the boat."

I stepped to the left and leaned forward. I'd never seen anything hatch before, let alone a dinosaur.

"Henry, Henry, Henry, why didn't you tell me?" my grandpa exclaimed, coming forward. "I insist on being here when they're born."

He wiggled into a pair of plastic gloves and I moved over to give Dr. Grant some space. A tiny snout started to poke through the shell. The mechanical hand rested around the egg to keep it from rolling.

"Come on, come on," my grandpa urged with a chuckle. "Come on, little one."

I bit the end of my thumb as I watched. How many people could say they had done this? I doubted I would ever witness anything this amazing again in my life. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was so glad that I had accepted my grandfather's invitation.

"Come on," he said once more. I heard a faint squeaking. "Come on, little one, come on. Come on, then. Very good. Push, push! Very good!"

I could see its little head peeking through. I covered my mouth with my hand. I wished I could have shared this with my sister.

"Oh, God," Dr. Sattler muttered, with a laugh of disbelief.

"Push, come on!" my grandpa continued with a chuckle of his own. "Come on, then. Come on, then." He reached out to help peel away some of the shell from its head. "There you are. There you are."

I finally got a good look at it. It was definitely some kind of carnivore, but I couldn't tell what. It started squeaking again and I couldn't stop smiling. It was just too freakin' cute! Even covered in all that egg goo, it was precious.

"They imprint on the first creature they come in contact with," my grandpa said quietly, stroking its head. "That's it! Helps them to trust me. I've been present for the birth of every little creature on this island."

I watched Dr. Grant's reaction. He looked so utterly baffled and awed. I glanced over at Malcolm. I was surprised to see that he was apparently gauging my reaction. He smiled and nodded back to the egg. I turned my attention back to the tiny new dinosaur, fighting the blush in my cheeks. I felt like I was sharing something personal with everyone in the room. In a way, I suppose I was. We'd never see anything like this again.

"Well, surely not the ones that have bred in the wilds," Malcolm commented as he watched.

That scientist – Henry was it? – came back over to watch. "Actually, they can't breed in the wild. Population control is one of our security precautions. There's no unauthorized breeding in Jurassic Park."

My grandpa laughed again and I looked from Henry to him as he helped break apart more shell.

"How do you know they can't breed?" Malcolm continued.

Henry looked up at him with a smile. "Well, because all the animals in Jurassic Park are female."

It was damn near halfway out of the shell now. It squealed as it flailed about.

"Oh, my God! Look at that!" Dr. Sattler fawned.

Dr. Grant reached out to help. "Blood temperature seems like about high 80's maybe."

"Wu?" my grandpa questioned.

"Uh, 91," Henry replied.

I watched Malcolm come around the table to stand by my side. He clasped his hands behind his back as he looked over my shoulder. He was standing so close. Thankfully my grandfather's attention was presently directed elsewhere. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne. He smelled enticing. I glanced back at him and he smiled.

"It's really something, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

I could smell the mint of the gum in his mouth. I nodded and turned my attention back to the egg.

"It's amazing, is what it is," I muttered, standing on my tiptoes to get a better view.

It was out all the way now and resting in my grandfather's hands. Dr. Grant had picked up the shell and was turning it over in his hands. The mechanical hand reached out and plucked it from his grip. I couldn't help but giggle.

"But, um, again, how do you know they're all female?" Malcolm pressed. "What, does somebody go out in the park and pull up the dinosaurs' skirts?"

Henry threw him an annoyed look, but I saw Dr. Sattler stifling her laughter like I was.

"We control their chromosomes," Henry replied. "It's really not that difficult." He walked past me around the table. "All vertebrate embryos are inherently female anyway. They require an extra hormone given at the right developmental stage to make them male. We simply deny them that."

I looked from my grandpa cleaning the nasty off this tiny, precious baby to Malcolm as he paced around the opposite way to take a seat nearby.

"Deny them that?" Dr. Sattler questioned.

Dr. Grant looked up curiously as he wiggled his hands into a pair of vinyl gloves.

"John, the kind of control you're attempting is, uh, it's not possible," Malcolm said slowly. "If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories and crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but, uh, well… there it is."

I saw that look of disdain cross my grandfather's features once more. Gennaro was looking at him like he was an idiot. I couldn't understand why. He was making good points. I guess I might be a little upset if someone was poking holes in my life's work, but still.

"There it is," my grandpa muttered, turning his attention back to the baby dinosaur in his hands.

"You're implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will… breed?" Henry asked quizzically.

"No," Malcolm replied. "I'm simply saying that life, uh… finds a way."

My grandpa had handed off the baby to Dr. Grant, who walked past me looking at the tiny creatures in his hands. It was so small. It couldn't be a T-Rex, could it? I crossed my arms and looked back down at the rest of the eggs. He really did have some good points. More amazing things have happened, I'm sure. The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I got. What happened if he was right? What if they did start to breed in the wild? Could they overpopulate and start terrorizing the place? I closed my eyes and shook those thoughts from my head, looking over at Dr. Grant again.

"What species is this?" he asked quietly.

Henry looked up from his clipboard. "Uh… it's a velociraptor."

"You bred raptors?"

I could hear the edge in his voice and found it unsettling. Henry just slowly nodded his head. Now that he'd said it, I could see it. My grandpa peeled off his vinyl gloves and came around the table to clap me on the back.

"If I remember correctly, velociraptors are your favorite?" he asked with a new grin.

I blushed, still looking at the tiny creature in Dr. Grant's hands. I second guessed myself for a moment, swallowing hard. I nodded slowly, looking back at my grandpa.

He nodded eagerly. "Follow me. We'll visit the adult enclosure."


	3. Chapter 3

I exhaled slowly and followed him back toward the staircase. Dr. Grant handed off the baby to one of the scientists and everyone else followed as well. It was a decent walk outside to reach it. I could hear the high pitched screeching and roaring before I could actually see it. My heart started racing and I crossed my arms over my chest to hold myself. I was getting more and more anxious the closer we got. I wasn't so sure that I wanted to see them anymore. Dr. Grant had made it there first. I hung back, trying to psych myself up.

"You all right?"

I shook out of my stupor and looked to my left. Who else would it be? I smiled faintly at Malcolm, pushing my sleeves up.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied. "I'm just…" Another screech ripped through the air, echoing down the path toward us. "I'm a little overwhelmed. It's a lot to take in."

He nodded and we walked in silence for a few minutes before I looked back over at him. I smiled a little more cheerfully and added, "I'm sorry my grandpa is so… crass. I mean, if he didn't want your opinion he shouldn't have asked you here."

He grinned and chuckled. "I don't mind. People like your grandfather have been shooting me down for years. I'm used to it."

I threw him a sarcastic look. "Still doesn't excuse rude behavior. Have you even seen the looks he gives you?"

His smile broadened. "Only when he catches me close to you, really."

I blushed and laughed nervously. "I told him I can handle myself. I'm a grown woman, after all."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so he uh… told you to stay away?"

I smiled and shook my head. "It was more of a suggestion, but yes. Don't worry, I can form an opinion of you all my own."

"Really? And uh… what conclusions have you drawn so far?"

I continued smiling and shook my bangs out of my face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He laughed lightly. "Well, yes, yes I would."

I glanced over at him. "I'll let you know when it's fully formed. It's still in the beginning stages. I only met you a few hours ago, after all."

He smiled again and popped in a new piece of gum. "I'll hold you to that."

We'd caught up with the rest of the group by now. My grandpa cleared his throat and continued to speak. I hadn't heard what he was saying, but he wasn't talking to me so I didn't dwell on it.

"Dr. Grant, as I was saying, we laid on lunch for you before you set out into the park. Our gourmet chef Alejandro—"

"What are they doing?" Dr. Grant interrupted.

I had been wondering much the same thing. The guards were in the process of lifting a bull in a blue harness over the cage. My stomach lurched.

"Oh, God," I muttered.

"Feeding them," my grandpa replied casually. He continued like we weren't about to see this cow be slaughtered. "Alejandro's, uh, prepared a delightful menu for us: Chilean sea bass, I believe."

As much as I hated it, my morbid curiosity was getting the best of me. I hesitated only a second longer before I hurried toward the stairs. Dr. Grant did the same, following me up to the side of the enclosure with Dr. Sattler trailing behind. I stood on my tiptoes and cautiously peeked through the high voltage wires. I couldn't see anything but foliage. I watched as they lowered the poor mooing cow toward the opening in the gated roof.

"Abigail," my grandfather called. "I don't think it wise for you to stand so close."

I ignored him, glancing over at Dr. Grant. He smiled grimly and we both looked back down into the trees. I could hear heavy breathing and something moving through the trees. Seconds later that high pitched screeching and roaring erupted all over again, only now accompanied by the terrified bellowing of the cow. I stared at the jerking treetops in horror. I was glued to the spot. I couldn't have moved if I'd wanted to. Growling, screeching, roaring, crunching… there were too many sounds to follow. It almost sounded like a pack of snarling dogs or hyenas going berserk on some poor antelope. Malcolm had come to stand beside me, but I wasn't sure when. He looked almost as horrified as I did, though I could still see the intrigue. Dr. Sattler was cringing. My head was pounding. Everything was starting to sound muffled. My stomach hit my knees. I was gonna be sick. I closed my eyes hoping it would pass. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tried to take a step back, but I fell into nothing.

I gasped and coughed, looking around in confusion. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to blink away the inverted colors. I was lying on my back on the metal walkway. Malcolm was supporting my upper body and Grant was fanning my face with his hat.

"Hey, are you all right?" Grant asked, pushing my bangs out of my face.

I took a deep breath and nodded. Malcolm was looking down at me wearing a concerned expression. I made to sit up and the two helped me to my feet. It took me a moment to gather my senses, shaking away the last of the dizziness.

"I'm good, I'm okay," I said quickly, taking another deep breath. I laughed and smiled nervously. "Sorry. That escalated quickly…"

"Are you sure you're quite all right?" my grandpa asked, touching my shoulder.

I nodded, shaking it out all the way to my hands. "Yeah, yeah. I'm great. Peachy, really."

It wasn't until then that I noticed someone new had arrived. He was tall, sporting a matching khaki button up shirt and shorts and a pair of brown hiking boots. Even his socks matched the color of his outfit. My grandpa nodded and turned his attention back to him.

"Yes, as I was saying," my grandpa continued, "Robert is my game warden from Kenya. Bit of an alarmist, I'm afraid, but knows more about raptors than anyone."

I heard them screaming again, as if on cue. I shuddered and edged toward the railing.

"What kind of metabolism do they have?" Dr. Grant asked after shaking Robert's hand. "What's their growth rate?"

"They're lethal at eight months, and I do mean lethal," he replied. "I've hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move—"

"Fast for a biped?"

"Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles per hour if they ever got out in the open. And they're astonishing jumpers."

It was interesting to know, but still disturbing after what I had just witnessed. It made my spine tingle. What if one of them got out?

"Yes, yes, yes, yes," my grandfather said quickly. "That's why we're taking extreme precautions."

He turned to talk to Dr. Sattler, but Dr. Grant continued his inquiries. "Do they show intelligence? With their brain cavities, we assumed that—"

"They're extremely intelligent," Robert replied. "Even problem-solving intelligence; especially the big one. We bred eight originally, but when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others."

Everyone was looking at him now. My grandfather had stopped his conversation to turn around.

"That one," Robert continued, "when she looks at you, you can see that she's working things out. That's why we have to feed 'em like this. She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came."

"Aren't the fences electrified, though?" I asked, straightening up and turning around to face him.

"That's right," he continued, looking at me, "but they never attack the same place twice. They were testing the fences for weaknesses systematically. They remember."

At this point, the shredded blue harness the cow had been in began to lift back out of the enclosure. Everyone turned to look at the clanging sound of metal. Even the bars had come apart. The whole thing was nearly in a dozen pieces. Worse yet, it was covered with blood. I cringed and turned away, taking a few more deep breaths.

"Yes. Well. Who's hungry?" my grandpa asked.

I shook my head with a quiet laugh and followed as we started the walk back to the main building. My stomach was still churning fiercely. I had skipped breakfast, so that might be what the problem was, but somehow I doubted it.

"So, are you a frequent fainter?"

I laughed and looked over at Malcolm. He might get on my nerves if he weren't so cute. He was just a curious little thing, that's all. I shrugged and dug my hands into my pockets.

"You're a talkative little creature, aren't you Dr. Malcolm?" I teased with a smile.

He grinned. "Please, call me Ian."

I nodded before I continued, squinting up at the clouds. "I only faint on occasion. Blood makes me woozy. Panic attacks are usually what the problem is. My body doesn't process stress very well, I suppose."

"Well, uh, I guess it's a good thing you aren't on an island with dozens of dinosaurs that could tear through you like a paper in a shredder."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head with a laugh. "As long as they stay on the other side of the fences I'll be fine."

My grandpa led us to a large room with a surprisingly small table. Screens surrounded it, projectors continuously changing pictures. His voice was droning on over the intercom. No sooner had everyone got seated around the table than a group of waiters brought out our lunch. He sat at one head of the table and I at the other. Lunch looked fancy, organized perfectly upon each plate.

"None of these attractions are ready yet of course," my grandpa continued, "but the park will be open with the basic tour you're about to take. And then other rides will come on-line six or twelve months after that. Absolutely spectacular designs. Spared no expense."

"And we can charge anything we want," Gennaro said excitedly. "2,000 a day, 10,000 a day. And people will pay it."

I stopped mid-bite to stare at him like the moron that he was. I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on my meal.

"Then there's the merchandise," he continued. "I can personally advise—"

My grandpa cut him off, thankfully. "Donald. Donald. This park was not built to cater only to the super rich. Everyone in the world has the right to enjoy these animals."

He laughed and replied with amusement, "Sure. They will. What, we'll have, uh, a coupon day or something."

My grandpa chuckled along with him, but I didn't find it amusing. It was no wonder people disliked lawyers…

Ian shook his head and said, "Gee, the lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, um… staggers me."

Gennaro looked serious again. "Well thank you, Dr. Malcolm, but I think things are a little bit different than you and I feared."

"Yeah, I know. They're a lot worse."

"Now wait a second. We haven't even seen the park yet, and you—"

"No, Donald, Donald," my grandpa cut in again. "Donald, let him talk. There's no reason… I want to hear every viewpoint. I really do."

I nodded to myself, grateful that for a moment, at least, he could treat him like a human being.

"Yeah," Ian continued, taking advantage of the opportunity to speak freely. "Don't you see the danger, uh, John, inherent in what you're doing here? Genetic power's the most awesome force the planet has ever seen, but you wield it like a kid that's found his dad's gun."

I listened intently, looking around the table to gauge responses.

Gennaro sat up straight and said, "It's hardly appropriate to start hurling generalizations—"

Ian held up his hand to cut him off. "I-If I may…" He looked back to my grandpa. "Um, I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here. Uh, it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You know, you read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility… for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could…" My grandpa had his hands clasped in front of him, elbows propped up on the table. At this point he started shaking his head vigorously with an annoyed look. "And before you even knew what you had, you-you patented it, packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunch box. And now you're selling it. You wanna sell it." He slammed his fist on the table, emphasizing his words. "Well—"

My grandpa looked at him and replied calmly, "I-I don't think you're giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody's ever done before."

Ian cocked his head to the side and made a face. "Yeah but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

My grandpa looked over at Dr. Grant, pointing. "Condors. Condors are on the verge of extinction."

Ian shook his head and leaned back in his chair in exasperation. "No…"

"No, listen. If I was to create a flock of condors on this island, you wouldn't have anything to say."

"No, hold on. This isn't some species that was obliterated by deforestation… or-or the building of a dam. Dinosaurs, uh, uh, had their shot, and nature selected them for extinction."

It was cute, the way he stammered when he was passionate about something. And he continued to make good points. After the raptors… I had begun doubting the whole situation myself.

My grandpa sighed heavily. "I simply don't understand this Luddite attitude, especially from a scientist. I mean, how can we stand in the light of discovery and not act?"

"Oh, what's so great about discovery?" Ian replied sarcastically, thrumming his fingers on the tabletop. "It's a violent, penetrative act that scars what it explores. What you call discovery… I call the rape of the natural world."

I cringed involuntarily.

"Well," Dr. Sattler started off, "the question is, how can you know anything about an extinct ecosystem? And therefore, how could you ever assume that you can control it?" I had stopped eating, leaning forward onto the table. I wanted to give this my full attention. "You have plants in this building that are poisonous. You picked them because they look good; but these are aggressive living things that have no idea what century they're in, and they'll defend themselves, violently, if necessary."

My grandpa looked around in disbelief. He gestured to Dr. Grant. "Dr. Grant, if there's one person here who could appreciate what I'm trying to do—"

He took a deep breath before answering. He must have a lot to say. "The world has just changed so radically, and we're all running to catch up. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but look… dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea of what to expect?"

My grandpa let out a high-pitched chuckle. "I don't believe it. I don't believe it. And Abigail, do you feel the same? Do you agree?"

My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting to be thrown into the fray like this. I cleared my throat and sat up straight. I gave him an apologetic smile before I answered.

"I'm sorry, grandpa, but… yes. I do. I mean, in theory, it's a beautiful, fantasy of an idea… But maybe a theory is all it should have been. Even with all the safety precautions you've put in place, who's to say that they won't fail? Life is… unpredictable. You can't ignore this fact. You have no way to plan ahead for every possible scenario. You miss even one tiny thing and… Pardon my French, but fuck the research; you put everyone on this island at risk. Recreating these dinosaurs was an amazing feat, don't get me wrong… but doing so to satiate the curiosity of the people of the world – and for profit, no less - it's deplorable." I shook my head thoughtfully before looking back up at him. "You can't play God like this without consequences. And I scarcely dare imagine how horrific those consequences might be…"

He stared me down for a few long seconds. I could tell he wasn't pleased. He thought I would agree with him, but the odds were against him. I couldn't agree with something like this, as amazing as it was. The danger was immeasurable. He laughed finally, that same look of disbelief. He looked over at Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant.

"You're meant to come down here and defend me against these characters," he said, gesturing to Malcolm and Gennaro. "And the only one I've got on my side is the bloodsucking lawyer!"

I hid my giggle behind my hand. He glared at me before looking back at my grandpa. "Thank you."

My grandpa clapped his hands together and added, "Well, if everyone is done here I'll show you to your rooms. I think we've had enough excitement for one day."


	4. Chapter 4

My grandpa got to his feet and gestured for us all to follow. I frowned in confusion. I thought we had much more planned than this.

"Feel free to explore, within reason," he continued as he led us down the hallway. "We'll pick up on the tour tomorrow morning after breakfast. For now, I want you to take in what you've seen and what you've learned, mull it around overnight."

It didn't take long to get to the first room. He opened the door and smiled at me. "Here's your room. Your suitcase is inside, all your things are here. This intercom here…" He pointed at the speaker beside the door. "… Just give it a buzz if you need anything or if you have any questions."

I nodded and bid everyone farewell, closing the door behind me. The place looked like a very well manicured hotel – massive TV on a stand against one wall, a queen size bed, at least, opposite. There was even a table with chairs across the room, a mini fridge stocked with snacks and drinks, and I had my own bathroom. Everything was pristine. I must be the first person to stay here. I laughed at myself. Well that only made sense, I guessed. I flopped down on my bed and sighed heavily. The things everyone had said weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn't help the amazement I felt toward the whole idea. They were dinosaurs for Christ's sake! And I loved me some dinosaurs. To see them alive and walking amongst us… it was mind blowing. To see what they actually looked like... But I also knew that they were right. What they had done and were doing here was incredibly dangerous.

I shook my head and sat up, digging through my suitcase for my ipod and speaker. I turned on some music and set to poking about the room. I opened the curtains to look out the window and was surprised to find that they were barred. I chuckled and continued about the room. I was singing to myself and checking my reflection in the mirror when I heard a knock at the door. I hurried to open it assuming it was my grandfather. I was surprised once more to see Ian standing at my door.

"Oh! Uh… hi," I muttered awkwardly, self-consciously smoothing down my hair. "Did you need something?"

"I, uh… thought you might like to take a walk," he replied, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "We've got time to kill and I'd like to hear more about your thoughts on the situation."

I smiled, hoping the rising blush wasn't too obvious, and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Just a sec. Let me turn this off quick."

I hurried to turn off my ipod and grab my sunglasses, closing the door behind me. We walked down the hall in silence for a few minutes until we reached the main hall.

"You have a lovely singing voice," he said as we made our way down the stairs.

I laughed and tucked my bangs behind my ear. "And here I thought you wanted to talk science," I answered in a teasing tone.

He smiled. He really did have a nice smile. He was very charismatic. Or maybe it was just me, because no one else seemed to take a liking to him like I did.

"It's both," he continued. "I'd like to get to know you, too."

I put on my sunglasses and hooked my thumbs through my belt loops. He held the door for me and together we walked down the last few steps of the building.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I asked casually. On the inside, I was thrilled that he was interested enough in me to keep coming back. So what if he was older than me? He seemed like a fascinating man.

"Where to start?" he said slowly. "Hmm… You know what I do. What about you? Your work?"

I smiled faintly. "I work in a photography studio out in Seattle, Washington. I do a lot of work with children and animals. Occasionally some freelance work for one of the local newspapers."

He nodded. "Do you enjoy your work?"

My smile broadened. "I love it. Photography is my passion. I'm still working on my degree, though. I had to take a time out from school to get my life sorted out."

"Fair enough. What about… well, your favorite color?"

I laughed. "Um… red. Red is my favorite color. Crimson, I guess. My turn. Hmm… What about family? Brothers, sisters…" I cleared my throat, blushing. "Wife?"

He chuckled and looked over at me. "Are you, uh… asking me if I'm single?"

I squinted up at him in the sunlight. "Maybe…"

"I've… got a few ex-wives, a couple of kids… At the moment, uh… single."

I raised my eyebrows. "A few, huh? Suppose that's not so bad. Five I might consider worrisome."

He smiled. "And you?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Never been married. Never really had much of a solid relationship, for that matter."

He glanced at me. "I find that very hard to believe. A beautiful young woman like you must have men, uh, throwing themselves at your feet.

I laughed heartily. "You're funny!"

"No, no. I'm being serious. You are… very beautiful."

I blushed madly. "Thank you… I just… I'm not that good at talking to people. I get awkward sometimes. I prefer to listen. I like to hear what other people have to say."

"You're not doing too bad so far. We're holding a decent conversation."

I smiled. "It's been known to happen."

"Next. Let's see…" He gestured to my arms. "How many do you have?"

I looked down at my tattoos. "Um… You know, I'm not really sure anymore. I've lost track; upwards of twenty-five at least. They're all important though. Every single one has been thought out. Pick one. I can tell you about it."

He looked up and down my arms and settled on my collarbone. "What's this one?"

I glanced down at it with a smile. "My uncle drew this for me. In the Celtic zodiac, each grouping is represented by a species of tree. Mine is the Hawthorn, one of three sacred trees. It was said to bring good luck and they planted Hawthorn shrubs around houses, churches, that sort of thing, for protection. It was used in the Festival of Beltrane to symbolize the shedding of the old to make way for new growth. It's my way of getting back to my Irish heritage. It was one of several trees that they believed faeries lived in. That's what this is for." I pointed to the faerie perched upon the branch. "It's made to resemble my great-grandmother. She was the first family member I had a chance to know that died. One of the first funerals I went to…"

"I'm sorry…"

I smiled. "No worries. It makes me feel closer to her. That was years ago. It's not so sensitive anymore."

He nodded. "What about this one?"

He brushed his finger down the side of my neck. It sent an involuntary shudder down my spine. My face turned red and I reached up to touch it with a small laugh.

"That one is an inside joke. It's the lamppost from The Chronicles of Narnia. I might explain that one to you another time."

He laughed. He really did have a wonderful smile, especially when it reached his eyes. My face lit up.

"Oh! I bet you'll appreciate this one."

I didn't really think about it before I started wriggling out of the right sleeve of my shirt. His eyes widened a little and his face turned red. He must not have realized I was wearing a tank top for a moment. I smiled to myself and pulled my shirt up over my shoulder.

"It's the library from Beauty and the Beast. It's both a favorite Disney movie and a beautifully designed symbol of my everlasting curiosity and love for knowledge."

He touched my arm, leaning in to get a better look. "The detail in this is… is amazing. Wow… That must've been a hell of a sit to get this done. Does this go all the way around?" He lifted my arm to get a full view. I was glad I'd shaved. "Huh… Would you look at that… It's quite a work of art."

"Thank you." I slid my arm back into my sleeve and we kept walking. "I try to research the shop and the person doing my tattoo before I get it done. I want to know that it's gonna turn out how I imagine it."

We spent the next few hours walking around talking and laughing. He saw the world through a unique perspective and I couldn't get enough of it. When the sun started setting we finally made our way back to the main building. I'd been enjoying myself so much I hadn't realized how much time had passed. Once we reached my door, I hesitated, shuffling my feet.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning then?" I asked with a smile.

He looked down at me with a small smile of his own. His eyes were hypnotizing me. I swallowed hard and bit my lip nervously.

"Excuse me if-if I'm too frank," he said slowly. "I'd like very much to kiss you."

My heart inadvertently fluttered wildly. I looked down to hide my blush, giggling. Oh God. What could I say? I looked back up at him, trying not to look at his lips.

"I don't think that would be fair to either of us, would it?" I replied quietly. "After this, what are the chances of us seeing each other again?"

His smile broadened. "All the more reason. I like you, you like me. It's not so complicated, is it?"

I tucked my hair behind my ear, blushing all over again. I crossed my arms over my chest. "I do like you. That's why it's a bad idea. I don't want you thinking that's the kind of girl I am."

"It's only a kiss…"

"Everything always starts out as just a kiss."

He chuckled. "Are you propositioning me?"

He took a step closer. Our foreheads were almost touching. I laughed and shook my head.

"Just stating fact."

"I can leave it at a kiss. The question is… can you?"

I raised my eyebrow and slowly smiled. "You really are a persistent man, aren't you Ian?"

"Very."

He closed the gap between us, pressing his lips cautiously against mine. I felt the chemistry instantaneously. I was right to worry. I didn't know what to do with myself. My hands fluttered helplessly to his shoulders. After what felt like ages, I pulled back, giving him one last peck on the lips. I smiled up at him bashfully and bit my lip.

"I'll… see you in the morning then," I said breathlessly. "Goodnight Ian."

He grinned that spectacular grin of his. "Goodnight Abby."

I opened my door enough to slip through and closed it behind me. I exhaled slowly, pushing my bangs out of my face. I laughed shortly and crossed the room to dive onto my bed. I flipped on the TV and touched my lips. I could almost still feel his presence on them. Of all the things I imagined I'd experience here, that was not something I had foreseen. I peeked through the cupboards and mini-fridge to see what kinds of snacks there were. I laughed aloud and shook my head. My grandpa still remembered how much I loved gummy worms. I grabbed a bag and cracked open a can of Dr. Pepper, sprawling across my bed on my stomach to see what was on. I couldn't focus. Instead I spaced out, remembering little tidbits of the evening I spent with him…

_Ian and I had found a quiet hill to sit on overlooking a lake. I watched him as he talked about his work. His voice held so much passion. He talked with his hands, waving them about every now and then. I just smiled and listened intently. He was smarter than they gave him credit for. He spoke his mind and there was nothing wrong with that. I felt at ease in his presence. I got the feeling he wouldn't judge me based on anything I did or said. When he asked me questions about my life I answered freely. I told him about my friends back home, my family, my aspirations… everything. We laughed and talked like we had known each other for years rather than hours. I even managed to sneak a few candid shots of him while he wasn't looking. Maybe I'd show him later. I wondered if he knew how much emotion he wore in his expressions when he talked. His face, to me at least, was somewhat of an open book._

_He smiled over at me, squinting in the fading sunlight. "Can I ask you a personal question?"_

_I smiled back and nodded. "Sure. Go for it."_

" _What made you agree to come here? From what I gather you aren't that close with your grandfather."_

_I sighed and looked up at the sky. The setting sun was painting the clouds beautiful shades of pink, yellow, and orange._

" _I think that's just the reason I decided to come, actually. After losing by great grandma it kind of shook my world; made me really think about the relationships I have with my family. You never know how long someone is gonna be with you. I figured I should make an effort to visit, at least. I know it's not like we can make up for the years lacking all at once, but it's worth the effort."_

_He nodded. "As good a reason as any. I'm, uh… I'm glad you came though. Really. It's good to talk to someone who really listens."_

_I smiled again. "I'm glad I came, too. You're interesting. I like to hear what you have to say."_

_His expression softened as he looked at me with appreciation. No one had ever looked at me that way before. I blushed and looked away for a few seconds before looking back over at him bashfully. He was almost glowing with the sun lighting from behind him._

* * *

I woke the next morning to an alarm going off. I almost panicked until I realized it was just the clock beside my bed. I didn't remember setting an alarm. It must have been preset. I groaned and rolled over, covering my head with my pillow. It was 8:00 in the morning and I had only gotten to sleep maybe four hours prior. Still, I dragged myself out of bed and plugged in my ipod, hopping into a warm shower to wake myself up. I took my time getting dressed – dark wash, frayed denim shorts and an orange soft knit shirt with a yellow dandelion, the seeds blowing forth shaping into birds. I stopped outside my door to tie my converse tighter and made my way back to the dining room. I was pulling my hair up in a ponytail when I reached the door. Everyone else was there already, gathered around the table eating and talking amongst themselves.

"Ah, Abigail! So nice of you to join us," my grandpa teased.

I blushed and sat down across the table from him. "Sorry," I mumbled sheepishly. I wanted to take a shower first."

"No worries, no worries. Help yourself!"

I grabbed a couple of pieces of French toast and sausage links, pouring myself a glass of milk. I caught little snippets of everyone's conversations, but mostly kept to myself. I leaned back in my chair yawning as I waited for everyone else to finish up. I felt someone's eyes on me. I already knew who it would be, but I glanced up anyway. Sure enough, Ian was likewise leaned back in his chair smiling at me. I blushed and smiled, looking down at my hands. Thankfully no one seemed to catch the exchange. A short while later, someone came in and whispered something in my grandpa's ear. His face lit up with delight.

"Well," he said in a pleased tone. "They're here."

I saw the curious glances everyone was throwing in his direction, but no one said a word as we made our way out of the dining room and back toward the staircase in the main entrance. I tightened my ponytail and adjusted the small camera case attached to my belt, following just the same. I didn't know what he had planned but it couldn't be good.

"You're gonna have a spot of company out in the park," he said with excitement. "Spend a little time with our target audience."

"Grandpa!"

My eyes went wide and I stopped dead in my tracks. He wouldn't… Sure enough, Timmy and Lex came running toward the staircase. I grasped for the railing, watching them tackle him halfway down the steps. I didn't like this one bit. Having adults here that could fully grasp the dangers was one thing, but bringing children into this when it was only a trial run? And his own grandchildren nonetheless! They both started talking excitedly about the flight there and how glad they were to see him. I clenched my jaw shut so I wouldn't voice my obvious objections. When Dr. Grant looked back at me, I could tell that he felt the same.

"Abby!" Timmy yelled once he spotted me.

I pasted on a smile for their sake. "Hey Timmy!"

He ran up the stairs into my open arms. I laughed and squeezed him, lifting him off his feet for a moment.

"Look how much you've grown!" I added. "You're gonna be as tall as me soon."

"I hope so," he replied, beaming up at me.

I took his hand and we followed everyone down the staircase and out the front door. He tugged on my sleeve and I looked down.

"Is that Dr. Alan Grant?" he asked in an eager whisper.

I smiled. "It sure is. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

He nodded and hurried down the steps ahead of me. Two brightly colored SUV's were pulling up.

"Now, kids, come away," my grandpa said quickly. "Not too close to the cars."

Ian caught Timmy's arm as he shot by and pulled him back out of the way. I smiled and crossed my arms, waiting for them to stop. My grandpa laughed, looking at them proudly.

"Aren't they lovely?" he continued. "Aren't they glorious?"

I smiled and shook my head, following as everyone approached the cars. Lex ran up to the lead car, looking through with window with excitement. She threw the door open and climbed in, looking around at all the gadgets.

"These will be your transports for the afternoon."

"No drivers?" Gennaro questioned.

"No, no, no, no. No drivers. They're electric. They run on this track in the middle of the roadway. Totally non-polluting. Top of the line. Spared no expense."

I leaned in the window, watching Lex.

"It's an interactive CD-ROM!" she said eagerly. "Look! See? You just touch the screen and it talks about whatever you want."

"Huh," I muttered, leaning in to tap the screen. It showed a map of the different enclosures. "Oh, wow. Would you look at that?"

I stood up straight and walked around the back of the back of the jeep, slipping on a pair of sunglasses. Ian was leaned with one hand on the jeep, the other on his hip. The pose made his butt look fabulous. I giggled and dug my hands in my pockets, kicking at some gravel on the pavement.

"Dr. Sattler, come with me. Dr. Grant, come in the second car."

"So uh… which car are you planning to ride in?" Ian asked quietly as he came to stand beside me.

I smiled and opened my mouth to reply, but my grandpa cut me off.

"Dr. Malcolm, if you would!"

We smiled at each other.

"I guess that answers that question," he muttered. "I'll see you when we get back then."

Out of sight of my grandfather, he lightly ran his finger down my forearm. My skin broke out in goose bumps and it sent a delightful shiver down my spine.

"I'll hold you to that," I answered quietly with a coy smile.

We parted ways and I climbed into the driver's seat. A minute later, Dr. Grant led Timmy back to the lead jeep. I smiled at him in understanding. Timmy was still babbling on about dinosaurs and some book he'd read. Dr. Grant smiled at me and shut the door. I laughed quietly and patted Timmy's head.

"You'll have time to talk to him more later," I said, leaning on the window frame.


	5. Chapter 5

The cars started moving shortly after. Lex and Timmy continued to chatter back and forth excitedly.

"Turn in your fear at the door and join the future, right?" Gennaro muttered with a chuckle.

"I suppose so," I replied, looking up at the sky.

An automated voice came on to guide us. "During most of your tour, the appropriate information will be automatically selected and displayed for you."

"Hey, look!" Tim said as he leaned over my shoulder.

We were approaching a massive gate, much like the ones we had come through after the helicopter. "Jurassic Park" was written across the top in big letters and the framework was adorned with burning torches. I laughed to myself. My grandpa certainly had a knack for the dramatic.

"Are we gonna hit that?" Lex asked softly, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Welcome to Jurassic Park," the recording continued.

As if on cue, the doors slowly creaked open. I swallowed hard, looking up through the Plexiglas roof at the gate as we passed through. There was no going back now. I put a hand on my stomach, hoping it would settle. I jumped when my grandpa's voice came on the radio.

"The voice you're now hearing is Richard Kiley," he said gleefully. "We spared no expense."

"If you look to the right," the automated voice continued, "you will see a herd of the first dinosaurs on our tour, called Dilophosaurus."

Despite the fear I felt, I twisted in my seat and peered around through the trees. I couldn't see a thing through all the foliage. Little bastards must be hiding. I sat back, feeling a little disappointed.

"One of the earliest carnivores, we now know Dilophosaurus is actually poisonous, spitting its venom at its prey, causing blindness and eventually paralysis, allowing the carnivore to eat at its leisure."

"Wonder who they had to lose to figure that out," I muttered under my breath. Hopefully they'd just done the proper research.

"I can't see," Tim grunted, pushing his sister."

"This makes Diophosaurus a beautiful but deadly addition to Jurassic Park."

We continued past the enclosure without so much as a rustle in the bushes.

"Aw, man," Tim mumbled, settling back into his seat.

"Well, that's a good start," I said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll catch sight of something eventually."

We crossed through a stone tunnel. I watched the light at the other end slowly approaching. The next electric fence we came to was the biggest I'd seen yet. It towered over us, lights on top flashing a warning. I glanced up at the sky and the mountains around us. The tops were coated with mist and low-hanging clouds. It looked like it was going to storm today. I was willing to bet it wouldn't be like the rain back home, either. I'd never been anywhere near a tropical storm before. The thought that I would see my first on an island with a bunch of carnivorous dinosaurs was slightly worrisome. What would happen if the power went out? The cars slowed to a stop. I looked out my window, squinting through the trees. All I could hear was the sound of a hundred different birds of the rainforest chirping away. It was a little disturbing that we had yet to see any dinosaurs. It made me feel like they were plotting something; like they knew something we didn't. I shook my head. It was a ridiculous idea. It was like visiting the zoo. Whether or not you'd get to see every animal was a matter of chance and luck. The radio dinged and a new voice came on.

"We'll try to tempt the Rex now. Keep watching the fence."

I looked away from the radio and back out the window. On one of the grassy hills on the other side of the fence, a small cage containing a goat rose up. I made a face. Now that was just cruel. The cage sank away, leaving the goat tied to a post. Did they think the T-Rex was stupid or what? Setting the goat loose entirely would be more effective.

"What's gonna happen to the goat?" Lex asked anxiously.

I looked over my shoulder at her with a grim smile. Hopefully they wouldn't have to see it.

"He's gonna eat the goat?!" she objected, looking at me with disbelief.

"Excellent," Tim said with an excited grin.

I laughed and shook my head. Boys…

"What's the matter, kid? You never had lamb chops?" Gennaro asked, gazing past me into the enclosure.

I glared at him and rolled my eyes. I was really beginning to dislike that man.

"I happen to be a vegetarian," she shot back in a matter-of-fact tone.

I smiled at her and she grinned back. I'd missed them. Tim was just a toddler learning how to talk the last time I'd seen him and Lex was just starting the first grade. They had certainly grown up much faster than I thought they would. After several long minutes, the goat settled in and lay down. I felt sorry for it, but I guess they had to feed it something. It was starting to sprinkle lightly. I took off my sunglasses and set them on the dashboard beside the steering wheel and I pulled a bobby pin out of my pocket to pin my bangs off to the side so they were out of my face. The cars pulled off a couple of minutes after. I sat back in my seat, rocking my head from side to side as I hummed to myself.

"You've gotten more since I last remember," Lex said, leaning forward between the seats with a smile. She tapped one of the tattoos on my arm.

I laughed. "Oh, yes, quite a few. Oh, you'll love this one." I twisted in my seat to show her my left bicep. "Look at this…"

She gasped and traced the swirls in awe. "Wow… Is that a cat eye nebula?"

I nodded. I loved that she could appreciate such things at a young age. I settle back into my seat, looking across the fields around us.

"I still like this one," Tim said, touching the tattoo of Zero on the back of my neck. "The Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite movie!"

I smiled at him over my shoulder. I opened my mouth to respond when I caught sight of a dark form in the middle of the field to our left. I sat up straight, craning my neck to get a better look. Was that…? I could see a small figure moving around it. Holy shit, that was a dinosaur lying on the ground! I couldn't tell from here what it was. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the door to the jeep behind us fly open. I looked over to see Dr. Grant striding through the grass. Seconds later Dr. Sattler was following after him. I chewed my lip in thought. Was it safe to go out there like this? Tim opened his door and watched the ground go by for a second. I spun around in my seat.

"Timothy, don't you dare," I said quickly.

"Relax," he said bravely. "If Dr. Grant is going, I wanna go."

He hopped out as I tried to snatch him back in.

"Timmy!"

Lex looked at me and gave a shrug. "I guess we can't let him go alone," she reasoned.

I growled and rolled my eyes, carefully jumping out of the slowing jeep. I gave Tim a disapproving scowl. He smiled up at me innocently and I rumpled his hair playfully. I laughed before turning my attention back to the field. I stood on my tiptoes, trying to get a better view. Ian hadn't moved, which didn't surprise me much. I smiled and looked to the dinosaur in the field and back to him again. I couldn't miss this. I fell into step beside the jeep he was in as it steadily rolled to a stop.

"You're not coming along, I take it?" I teased.

"No thanks," he replied, watching the others looking for a way through the barbed wire fence. "I think I'll pass on this one. Feel free though."

I shook my head and smiled. "I can't let my cousins go alone. I'll be right back. I'll take photos if I can!"

I ran off to catch up with the others, squeezing between two posts to follow the path they were headed down. Timmy was chatting up Dr. Grant again. I watched with a small smile, falling into step beside Dr. Sattler. She laughed to herself and glanced over at me.

"He's a chatty little thing, isn't he?" she asked quietly.

I nodded. "Timmy is very enthusiastic about the things he takes an interest in. They're both very smart for their age."

"Is there anybody else who thinks we shouldn't be out here?" Gennaro asked nervously.

I shook my head and looked back at Dr. Sattler. The two of us shared a smile briefly before turning our attention back to the field. I looked at Timmy as he babbled at Dr. Grant. He seemed so thrilled.

"His book was a lot fatter than yours was," he continued, holding his hands up to demonstrate. "It was like this."

"Really?" Dr. Grant replied distractedly.

Dr. Sattler laughed, nudging Dr. Grant. "Yours was fully illustrated, honey."

Lex tripped, falling to her hands and knees. I reached for her, but Dr. Grant was already helping her to her feet.

"You all right?" he asked.

She didn't reply, but smiled and held tightly to his hand even as he tried to shake her. I giggled quietly, trying to hide it behind my hand. I heard a deep grunt as we continued walking and Dr. Grant came to a halt.

"Who, whoa, whoa, whoa," he said quietly. "Everybody stay here."

He continued forward and I inhaled sharply. A triceratops was lying on its side letting loose a dull rumble of a moaning roar every few seconds. It sounded like it was drugged. Oh, but it was beautiful. Tim darted after Dr. Grant almost instantly. I called after him, but he ignored me.

I sighed heavily and muttered, "I don't know why I bother, honestly. Your brother has a mind of his own."

Lex smiled and took my hand as the two of us walked forward together. Dr. Grant approached it carefully, running his hand over the frill.

"Don't be scared," the worker called out. "It's okay. Muldoon tranquilized her for me. She's sick."

Dr. Grant looked so completely and utterly amazed. I smiled and hung back in the tall grass while everyone approached cautiously. I sneaked out my camera while no one was watching, being sure to keep it low and as unnoticeable as possible. I made sure the flash was off and started snapping. Dr. Grant ran his hand up over one of the massive horns.

"Oh my God," Dr. Sattler muttered with a laugh of amazement.

My smile widened. I was getting some amazing shots, particularly of Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler. Their expression held the most awe and raw emotion. I quickly tucked it away before anyone could see it and moved forward to join them. I didn't know where to begin. I could barely fathom that I was standing this close to a living, breathing dinosaur. I stood across from Dr. Grant, taking in everything about her. I took a deep breath, psyching myself up, before I cautiously reached out to touch her frill. I imagined this is what petting a rhinoceros might feel like – dry, bumpy, kind of tough. It took me a moment to wrap my mind around it. This was a dinosaur. I was actually touching a dinosaur! My sister would kill to be here seeing this. I laughed aloud and knelt down beside her, tracing the patterns in her skin.

"Oh, look at you," I breathed quietly. "Aren't you gorgeous?"

"She was my favorite when I was a kid," Dr. Grant said, glancing up at me with a grin. "Now I see her, she's the most beautiful thing I ever saw."

Dr. Sattler laughed quietly, rubbing the triangle center of her three horns. I took a step back, running my hand down her side. I watched Dr. Grant move to lean against her stomach, smiling as he moved with the rise and fall of her breathing. I glanced back to watch Timmy. He was just following Dr. Sattler in the grass as she poked around. He'd be safe with her. I could tell by the way she watched them that she loved children.

"Is this West Indian lilac?" she called out to the worker, kneeling to get a better look.

"Yes," he replied. "We know they're toxic, but the animals don't eat 'em."

I retreated to the edge of the grass, taking in the full image. My heart was racing with excitement. For just a moment, the majesty of this instance made me forget my fears and worries. Perhaps, I thought, this place wasn't as horrific as I thought it might be.

"Jesus Christ…"

I jumped a little and looked over. I hadn't realized Ian had come to join us. Dear God, he'd unbuttoned his shirt halfway. I blushed, quickly averting my eyes from his bare chest. I was staring. I smiled. Hot outside or not, I got the feeling he'd done so on purpose.

"Change your mind, I see," I said quietly.

"Curiosity killed the cat, I suppose," he replied with a grin.

I laughed and shook my head. We were quiet for several long minutes just staring at the amazing creature before us.

"It's like… finding out everything about your favorite sci-fi show is real… and then getting to meet all of the characters you love," I whispered. "You can't quite believe it's real, but… the beauty of it just astonishes you…"

He looked over at me and smiled. "Did you get any good shots?"

I nodded fervently. "Oh, I got plenty. I'll show them to you later."

"So we  _do_  still have a later?" he said playfully. "Good. I was starting to worry."

I giggled and nudged him in the ribs. "You're an excellent kisser, I'll give you that… cheeky little bastard…"

He laughed loudly and poked me in the ribs. "Oh, come on. Of everyone here I annoy you least of all."

"Stop," I chuckled, batting his hand away. "No! I'm ticklish."

"Really?"

He poked me again and I squirmed out of his reach, trying to control my laughter.

"No!" I objected. "I'll start screaming. I can't help it. It's involuntary. I don't want to scare her."

He laughed and caught me in his arms, spinning in a circle. Thankfully the rest of the group had followed Dr. Sattler, so it was only the two of us. His arms relaxed, sliding down to encircle my waist. I leaned back against his chest, reaching up to play with the pendant dangling beside my head.

"You did that on purpose," I laughed quietly.

"I don't know what you mean," he muttered in my ear. I could still hear the smile in his voice.

I turned to face him, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Unbuttoning your shirt like that… looking all dashing with your bare chest and all… like some gorgeous man on the cover of a romance novel."

He grinned. "So you think I'm gorgeous?"

I laughed. "Don't let it go to your head."

He put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. "If it's any consolation…" His voice was low, seductive. He leaned forward, kissing the side of my neck. "… I think you're gorgeous, too."

My knees were shaking. What the hell were we doing? We were standing here next to this amazing creature and we were completely ignoring it to suck face? He interrupted my thoughts, brushing his lips against mine. Damn him. Damn my weakness for intelligent men. Just damn… He gazed down at me, eyes intense, smoldering. I swallowed hard, breathing shallow. Well, it was pretty obvious that there wasn't much use trying to fight it. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. I nipped his bottom lip playfully. I felt him smile. I twirled a lock of his hair around my finger. His thumbs were softly tracing circles at my sides, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. Thunder rumbled loudly, threateningly. I jumped in alarm and looked up at the sky.

"Oh that's just perfect," I groaned.

Ian laughed, squinting up at the clouds. "Looks like everyone is heading back this way."

He released my waist and I stepped away, standing on my toes to look for Lex and Tim. The two of them came bouncing back through the grass ahead of everyone else, the both of them smiling and laughing. Tim came to stand beside me, taking my hand in his and swinging it back and forth excitedly.

"This place is awesome!" he exclaimed, moving forward to squat down next to the triceratops again.

I smiled, watching him look to Dr. Grant like he was a superhero. Another clap of thunder cracked through the air. I flinched, reaching my arms up to hug myself. Gennaro looked like he was more terrified than anyone.

"Doctors, if you please, I have to insist that we get moving," he said quickly.

Dr. Sattler stood and replied, "You know, if it's all right, I'd like to stay with Dr. Harding and finish up with the trike."

She and Dr. Grant came to join the rest of the group that had gathered around.

"Sure," Dr. Harding answered. "I'm in a gas-powered jeep. I can drop her off at the visitor's center before I make the boat with the others."

"Great. Then I'll catch up with you if you wanna go on."

"You sure?" Dr. Grant asked.

"Yeah. I wanna stay with her a little longer."

"Okay then."

"Now!" Gennaro urged.

I rolled my eyes and took Lex's hand in one and Tim's in the other. "Come on, let's get back to the cars before it starts pouring."

"That was so cool!" Tim said, voice still full of excitement. "Think we'll see anything else today?"

I smiled. "I don't know. Maybe. It is starting to sound pretty nasty out here though."

There was another flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder. I was beginning to feel uneasy. The sky was growing ever darker. Lex squeezed my hand at the next blinding flash. I smiled at her reassuringly.

"Don't worry," I told her quietly. "Everything is gonna be just fine. It's just a little storm is all."

As soon as we were all back in the jeeps, a voice came on to tell us they were bringing us back to the garage. I sighed with relief. We had only been driving a short time before the sky opened up, dumping water down on us by what felt like the bucketful. It couldn't be any later than three or so, but the sky was dark enough to make it look much later. It looked like it was damn near nighttime. I didn't like it at all. I just sat in the passenger seat wringing my hands nervously. It took much longer than I expected it to for us to be able to loop back. The little TV screen on the dashboard suddenly went black. I sat up straight, tapping it.

"What's going on?" Gennaro muttered, more to himself than to me.

The next second, the jeep engine cut off and we rolled to a stop. My blood ran cold. I pressed my face to the window. Of course we'd have to be near something. And it was the T-Rex enclosure no less. I swallowed hard, my heart beating frantically. I took a few deep breaths, struggling to remain composed.

"What's the matter? What's going on?" Lex asked urgently.

"Why'd we stop?" Tim added, leaning forward between the seats to look at the screen.

"I don't know," I muttered. "I'm sure everything's fine, guys; maybe just a-a small power outage or something. We'll be back up and going soon."

I bit the end of my thumb nervously. That poor goat was still standing out there in all that rain. I shook my head. This was ridiculous. I looked around, trying to find some kind of intercom. I couldn't find anything useful. I sighed and sat back, looking out the side mirror at the jeep behind us. I twisted in my seat, looking at it thoughtfully. I reached down to detach my camera case from my hip. I smiled and handed it to Lex.

"Why don't you guys take a look at the pictures I took when I visited New York this last spring, huh? I'm gonna check with Dr. Grant, see if anything is working in their car. I'll be right back okay?"

She smiled anxiously and nodded. I glanced at Tim and gave him another smile. I had to psych myself up for a few seconds before I threw my door open and ran through the downpour to the second jeep. I was soaked by the time I got there. I pulled open the back door and scrambled in, panting.

"Hey," I said with a smile. "Is everything out in your car too? No screen, no radio, nothing?"

"Looks that way," Dr. Grant said slowly, pushing all the buttons he could find. "I don't know what happened. We just… stopped."

"It's gotta be the power. He said they ran on electricity." I pushed my dripping bangs back out of my face, readjusting the bobby pin. I glanced out the window at the enclosure beside us. "You don't think it's affected everything… do you?"

Him and Ian glanced at each other before looking back at me.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he replied.

I laughed. "Oh God… That's what I told Lex and Tim to calm them down. Is it that bad? I mean…" I glanced back out the window. "I can't help noticing those little lights on the fence aren't flashing anymore…"

They both craned their necks to get a better look.

"Jesus," Ian muttered. "The fences can't be out. They've-They've gotta have backup for something like this."

Dr. Grant forced a smile. "Everything will be back up and running soon. They're probably working on getting the power back up as we speak."

I nodded, shivering in my wet shirt. This couldn't be happening. Even just a few minutes could be disastrous in the wrong place. Dr. Grant must've heard my teeth chattering. He chuckled and turned around in his seat to look at me.

"I think there are emergency blankets back there if you need to warm up," he suggested with a small grin.

I blushed and thanked him, twisting in the seat to dig through the supplies in the back. Sure enough, I found a blanket relatively quickly. I unfolded it and wrapped it around myself. It was a little scratchy, but warm nonetheless. I sighed in content, shivering one last time. I saw Tim crawl into the back of the jeep ahead of us. These little green lights popped up and I squinted.

"What the hell has he got?" I muttered to myself.

Ian stuck his hand under his seat and felt around.

"If it's the same as what I found, my guess is night vision goggles," he replied.

I laughed. "He  _would_  find the most expensive piece of equipment in the car to play with…"

"So, Lex and Tim are your, uh, cousins, is it?"

I nodded. "Our moms are sisters. I think Tim is the first boy in years, actually. Grandpa had two girls, my mom had two girls…" I thought I felt something; like a very small quiver in the ground. I must be imagining things. "For a minute there… it looked like everyone was just gonna keep having… I'm sorry, but do you feel that? Is it just me?"

Dr. Grant sat up, looking into the trees. "Something's moving out there…"

I could hear it now as it got louder, the vibration more distinct. I pressed my face against the glass, cupping my hands to try to get a better view. I couldn't see anything, but I could definitely feel it and hear it.

"Dr. Grant," I whispered anxiously. "Is that… what I think it is?"

I pushed myself away from the door. The power was out. The fucking power was out! And  _now_  it was deciding to make a fucking appearance?! I was starting to hyperventilate. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, laughing.

"You've got to be shitting me right now," I said quietly.

I threw the blanket off and opened my door. Ian spun around to grab my arm.

"Wait, wait, wait. Where are you going?"

"I can't leave Lex and Tim in there with that chicken shit. He's only gonna scare them more. I gotta go be with them. Everything's gonna be fine, though, right?"

I smiled feebly and he nodded, kissing the back of my hand before he let me slip back out into the rain. I sprinted back to the jeep as fast as I could, sliding on the mud. I skid to a halt and scurried back into the passenger seat. Panting, I turned in my seat to give Lex and Tim the biggest smile I could offer.

"Hey, guys," I said quickly. "Don't worry. Everything is gonna be just fine."


	6. Chapter 6

Tim lowered the night vision goggles and scrambled back into the back of the jeep. He stared out the window intently, zooming in and out. The thunderous booms had suddenly stopped. I turned to look back out my window. My stomach dropped. The goat was gone; there was nothing but a chain hanging from a bent pole. Lex was breathing heavily. She looked from the pole back to me.

"What happened to the goat?" she asked quickly.

There was a loud thud on the roof of the jeep that made me flinch. I made a face of disgust. One of the goat legs had fallen onto the jeep. I didn't even have time to get past that. A massive head rose up from the trees. I swear, I must've stopped breathing. It threw its head back, easily swallowing the rest of the goat in one bite. It turned to look at us, probably smelling the blood.

"Oh Jesus," Gennaro choked out.

I heard a car door open and whipped around in my seat. He was staggering out the door, looking up at the T-Rex and whimpering to himself.

"What the fuck?!" I shouted, leaning out his door. "Run then, you scared little bitch!" I sat back and slammed his door shut. I looked at Lex and Tim. "Don't tell grandpa I swore like that."

I heard the sound of metal creaking. The wires twanged and started snapping one by one. My heart felt like it was going to break right out of my chest. The fence poles started squeaking and swaying, losing their support.

"No, no, no, no," I whispered urgently. "Come on. You have got to be fucking kidding me…"

I watched the T-Rex snatch up the last of the wires in its mouth, growling, and rip them out of their sockets with ease. It stepped up and out of the enclosure, growling as it looked around. It stepped onto solid ground, tremors shaking the jeep. It let loose a loud roar, sniffing the air. I couldn't think. For just one moment my brain seemed to lose it's ability to function.

"Dr. Grant," Lex whispered breathlessly, turning to look at the other car.

Another ferocious growl of a roar ripped through the air and it took a few steps forward, wandering around. It stopped to sniff the second jeep, bumping it with its nose.

"Oh God," I said quietly. I ran my fingers through my hair, closing my eyes for a second to gather my thoughts. "Uh, uh… Shit… Okay, we have to stay calm and we have to stay as still as possible. The T-Rex has vision based on movement. Lex… What are you doing?" I turned to look at her. She was digging through the emergency supplies in the back. She pulled something out, held it in her hands. "What have you got? Show me what you have."

She sat back, momentarily blinding me with a beam of light. I hissed and raised my arm to block it. She turned it away, muttering a quick apology.

"Give that to me Lex," I said quickly. Even now I could already see the T-Rex turning its attention on us. I heard those thundering footsteps. It was coming for us. "Lex, turn it off! Turn it off now!"

"Turn the light off!" Tim urged, crawling into the back seat with her.

"Here, come on. At least stop shining it all over the place!"

She turned it upside down and looked outside. She was practically in tears. The T-Rex was standing beside the jeep, growing quietly turning its massive head this way and that. It looked like it was trying to get a lock onto where the light had gone. It was sniffing the air, trying to catch our scent.

"Stay calm," I whispered. "Nobody move. Just stay still."

It lowered its head to our level, peering in through the window next to Lex. She was breathing in short little bursts much like I was. She shined the light out the window, right into its eye. I chewed my lip anxiously, praying it would just leave. It stood up straight and she looked over at me with wide eyes. It was sniffing the jeep again, growling softly. It must have a faint scent of us, but not enough to tell where we were specifically. I heard it draw in its breath before it bellowed at out so loudly I had to cover my ears. When it lowered its head again to peer inside the jeep, Tim scrambled into my lap and Lex scooted to my side.

"No, no, no," I whispered urgently. "Stay still. We have to stay still."

The T-Rex growled angrily and nudged the car hard with its head. The jeep rocked unsteadily, bouncing back. Lex started screaming uncontrollably. I swore loudly and crawled back onto the seat beside her.

"Get on the floor, Timmy," I ordered. "Stay down. Do you understand me?" For once he did as he was told. "Come on Lex. You gotta turn the light off."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she replied quickly, sniffling. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted-"

She stopped suddenly, staring up through the roof. I turned to look. It was hovering above the ceiling. We were moving; it must be able to see us.

"Shit," I muttered.

Its head plunged downward, shoving in the Plexiglas roof. This time when Lex started screaming, I joined in. We put our hands and feet up to block it. It snarled, growled, and roared in irritation. Thankfully its head didn't fit in all the way. Still, there was nothing but this piece of relatively fragile glass substance between us and those searching jaws.

"Jesus Christ!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I lost all sense of composure. Another piece of glass broke off as it slid across our hands and feet. It finally retracted its head and moved to the front of the car. I wasn't sure what it meant to do until the car started rocking. Lex screamed again. I wrapped one arm around her, reaching for Tim as he scrambled into the back seat with us.

"Hold on!" I shouted over all the noise. "Hold on to me! Brace yourselves!"

With another hard shove, the jeep flipped over. We were all screaming, the sound of it lost to my fear. I braced us as best as I could, but it wasn't much. We were flung around like the loose luggage when the jeep settled on its roof. My head bounced off one of the side windows. Everything sort of muted for a few seconds. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision. Things were going in and out a little. I reached up to press my arm to my forehead. I could feel blood trickling down the side of my nose and down my face. I must've cut myself. I groaned and rolled onto my stomach. The loose glass was slicing at my arms and naked legs. Lex and Tim had slipped from my grip. She was screaming, scrambling for the trunk. The jeep jerked hard. I looked over my shoulder. It had one foot on the bottom of the car. I heard metal ripping and rushing air. The car jerked again. It was biting the tires, tearing them free of the car. Better that than us, I suppose. The weight of it bearing down on the jeep was making the sides buckle and crunch. We were sinking into the soupy mud.

"Lex, Tim, are you guys okay?" I yelled.

"I think I'm stuck!" Tim answered. "I can't get my legs out!"

"I wanna go home," Lex sobbed hysterically. "I wanna go home!"

I crawled toward her, grimacing at the sloshing mud. How the hell were we gonna get out of this? Another roar ripped through the air, the jeep continuing to crunch. Lex was gasping and sobbing in terror. I reached for her hand, looking around desperately. The car sank a little deeper.

"Shit!" I screamed to myself. I had to think of something or we were going to die here. "Shit!"

"Hey!"

I looked up to see Dr. Grant standing in the rain waving a flare. The T-Rex roared at him ferociously. Now that he had its attention, he waved the flare back and forth a few times. I felt the jeep jerk again as the weight of the Rex was lifted. Dr. Grant threw the flare into the enclosure and froze, bracing himself for the ground shaking. The Rex growled and started to follow. I saw Ian get out of the car, another flare in hand.

"No," I muttered, struggling forward. "Stop, you idiot. Stop."

"Hey, hey, hey!" he yelled, waving his arms.

"Ian, freeze!" Dr. Grant shouted.

"Get them out!" he replied, turning to run. The Rex roared and started to follow him instead.

"Get rid of the flare! Get rid of the flare!"

He threw it to the side, but I could tell it was too late. It just roared and kept after him. He was headed in the same direction as Gennaro. From this angle I couldn't tell what was happening. What it looked like was the Rex rammed Ian with its head, scrambling to catch him in its jaws. The entire building of the restroom collapsed, leaving Gennaro exposed. I swallowed hard and looked away. I didn't want to see this. Dr. Grant was on his knees beside the jeep.

"Lex, take my hand," he said quickly. "Come on, I can pull you out."

"Go on," I urged. "It'll be all right. You're gonna be fine." I looked back at Tim. "You holding up okay?"

"Feeling great," he said sarcastically.

I laughed. "There you go. Keep those spirits up." I heard Gennaro screaming bloody murder and had to squeeze my eyes shut for a moment before I could block it out. I looked around, crawling to the opposite side. "I think I can get out over here," I called over my shoulder. I held Tim's face in my hands and kissed his forehead. "We're gonna get you out of here, do you understand?" He nodded. "Okay, now where are your feet stuck?"

He made a face, wiggling around a little. "The seat's got 'em."

"All right. Take it easy. I've got you. How's it coming Dr. Grant?"

"Almost there," he said with a grunt. "Okay, Lex, I got ya."

I felt around until I found Timmy's foot. His feet had gotten pinned between the seat and the roof when it came crushing in. I grabbed his shoe and started wiggling it back and forth. After a few seconds, his foot popped free. The second foot wasn't quite so easy.

"Come on, damn it," I muttered to myself. "Tim, can you point your foot at all?"

"I… think so," he said slowly, trying to give his foot a wiggle.

"How are you guys doing?" Dr. Grant asked, peering inside. "Having any luck?"

"We've got one loose, working on the other," I replied.

Lex started screaming again. Dr. Grant sat up straight, hurrying to cover her mouth. I looked over my shoulder anxiously. It was coming back. Tim whimpered.

"Shh," I whispered. "It's okay. I've got you. I'm gonna get you out of here. I promise." It was growling and grunting softly, sniffing the air. I grit my teeth and tugged on his foot. I couldn't get it out. "Come on," I said quietly. "Come on, damn it."

I wiggled his foot a little more. It was almost loose. The Rex growled again and nudged the jeep. I swore quietly and caught myself as the jeep spun around in a circle. I saw Dr. Grant and Lex's feet against the wall. We were facing it now. It snarled at us, nudging with its head again. It was trying to get at us. Timmy screamed, straining to free his foot.

"It's okay, it's okay," I said quickly. "Come on, we're almost there."

The jeep shook violently. I felt the suction of the mud as we were lifted into the air. I handed Timmy the seatbelt from the back and for a moment we locked eyes.

"Don't let go," I told him. "No matter what, don't you dare let go."

I scrambled to find something to hold on to. My feet kicked in the air helplessly as I clung to anything stable I could find in the trunk. Tim screamed and cried and I yelled, struggling to pull myself to safety. It shook the car, trying to knock one of us loose. Lex was screeching our names. I could hear the terrified strain in her breathing.

"We're okay!" I called. "Dr. Grant! Get her safe! I've got Timmy." I grunted, stretching to take Timmy's hands. He looked at me with wide eyes. "Hold on to my hands," I said quietly, giving his a squeeze. "Don't let go. It'll be okay."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Seconds later we were airborne. I couldn't even find my voice to scream. For half a second I couldn't breathe at all. We slammed into a tree and I was thrown forward. I hit the dashboard hard, grunting from the force, before I rolled out the windshield. I gasped, grappling for branches, anything I could catch myself on. I landed hard across a wide limb, the air rushing out of my body. I blinked hard, spots of color floating across my vision. I wheezed and coughed, struggling to pull myself up to safety. I groaned and sat there for a long moment holding my ribs. The headlights of the jeep were shining down on me. I flinched, easing myself to my feet. My head was pounding more fiercely than ever. I grit my teeth and breathed through the pain, climbing back up to the car. I stopped, panting heavily. I leaned on another branch for support.

"Tim?" I called up quietly. "Timmy, can you hear me?"

He didn't answer. I swore under my breath, looking down to the ground.

"Dr. Grant? Are you there?"

It was silent for a moment before I heard a response.

"Abby? Are you hurt?"

I sighed with relief. "A bit, but nothing too bad. Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine. I'm coming up, okay?"

"Yeah. Tim's still in the car. I'm climbing up to him now."

I grunted and continued climbing higher. I reached the passenger door and peered inside. I could hear Dr. Grant coming up the tree after us. I didn't see Tim right away. He was huddled on the floorboards.

"Thank God," I said quietly. "Timmy? Are you hurt? Can you move?"

He looked up at me, sniffling. "I threw up," he mumbled, wiping his eyes.

I smiled faintly. "It's okay Tim. I'm not feeling so hot myself. Give me your hand. I'll help you out."

I pulled on the door, but it wouldn't open more than a couple of inches. I growled and leaned in through the window.

"The door is stuck. Here."

I held my hand out to him. He hesitated a moment before taking it. I pulled him onto the passenger seat. He was a little roughed up, but it didn't look like anything was broken. Dr. Grant eased himself up onto a branch on the opposite side of the car. He forced a smile.

"Hey there Tim. How are you feeling?"

Tim threw him a look and I laughed. I couldn't help it. I think the shock was starting to set in.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "Um, the door on this side is stuck. You're gonna have to take him out your way."

Dr. Grant nodded and opened the door despite its creaking protests. He stepped onto the doorframe and grabbed the wheel.

"Come on, Tim. Let's get you out of here."

He looked back at me and I nodded. "It's okay. He'll help you down."

Reluctantly, he took the hand being held out to him and climbed across the car. It squeaked and shook from the movement. I checked to find my footing and took a step back. Once he was out safely, I looked up to the tops of the tree. There were branches high and near enough to the wall for me to climb back out. I watched Tim climbing out, chewing my lip. I had to know… Ian might still be alive and I couldn't leave him alone up there. At least Lex and Tim would be in the hands of someone I knew would take care of them. I climbed up and over the top of the jeep, sliding off onto the branch beside Dr. Grant. When he met my gaze, I could tell he knew I wouldn't be coming with him. Tim looked up at me. I hated to leave him like this. I'd come back down if I could. I smiled and smoothed his hair back from his face.

"Tim… I want you to go with Dr. Grant, okay?"

"Where are you going?" he asked, voice raising an octave. "Aren't you coming with us?"

I took his hand and squeezed it. "I'll find you. I promise I will." I looked up at Dr. Grant, trying to stop my eyes from watering. "Take care of them, okay? I just… need to know if Ian is alive; if I can help. If not… I'll know how to find you."

He smiled grimly and nodded. "You have my word."

I gave Tim's hand one last squeeze before I let them start the descent. I looked up and sighed. This was not going to be an easy climb. On the bright side, I couldn't hear that damn T-Rex stomping around growling anymore. Dr. Grant was talking to Timmy, trying to keep him calm and keep him moving. I hadn't gotten far when the jeep started creaking. I heard branches snapping and looked down sharply.

"Dr. Grant…?"

"Go, Tim, go!" he shouted.

Seconds later, the last supporting branch snapped and the car slid down. It caught again, giving them time to get ahead. I grimaced, pulling myself up onto a stronger branch. I looked down. The jeep was plowing through branches, cracking and creaking. It hit the ground and topped over onto the roof.

"Dr. Grant?! Tim?!"

A few seconds passed in silence. "We're all right," he finally called up. "We're good."

I sighed, leaning my head against my arm. I looked back up, squinting through the treetops. I still had a decent way to go. My body ached and I could feel the blood and mud drying all over my body. I forced myself to keep going. I could make out the forms of Dr. Grant, Lex, and Tim heading off into the trees. I made note of the direction they were heading in. After what felt like hours, I was level with the cement barrier. I looked around, searching for any signs of the T-Rex lurking. The air was mostly silent with the exception of the normal creatures of the night. At least, what I hoped were normal creatures. It sounded like birds and frogs, but I guess I didn't exactly know what dinosaurs sounded like. I grit my teeth and groaned, pushing myself just a little higher. The jump wouldn't be too far, thankfully. I managed to get pretty close. I took a few deep breaths, telling myself not to look down.

"Come on," I muttered. "You can do this. You got it. You've… You've jumped worse, right?" I huffed a couple of more times, psyching myself up. "Now or never… Come on!"

I pushed myself away from the branches, springing across the gap with everything I had. I didn't land so gracefully, but at least I managed to land period. My legs buckled and I pitched forward into one of the poles, scrambling to catch a hold of something - anything. I looked around through the darkness, panting. I didn't see movement. I edged my way along until I came to where the wires were torn away. Once I dropped down into the mud, I immediately hobbled toward the shredded bathroom shack. There was straw and bamboo poles strewn everywhere. Worse yet, there was blood splattered haphazardly across the ground, straw… everything I could see. I tried not to fall apart, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. If the Rex was loose, what else was? I pressed my palms against my eyes for a few seconds, trying to calm down. I shook my hands at my sides, giving it my best shot at shaking away the anxiety. I fixed my hair back up in a ponytail and looked around.

"Ian?" I said quietly. "Ian?" I sniffled, wiping my cheeks. I heard a groan and froze, spinning on the spot. I looked around eagerly. "Ian? Ian!"

I saw some straw moving nearby. I pulled it out of the way. Ian was lying on the ground, covered with blood. I knelt down beside him, brushing his hair back out of his face. There was a cut on his leg, but it didn't look too bad. My eyes were tearing up and I couldn't stop it, despite my embarrassment. Still, I was grateful to find him alive.

"Look at you," I whispered with a feeble smile. "You look like shit."

"You're… not lookin so hot yourself," he wheezed with a smile.

I laughed, looking him up and down. "How's your leg? Can you move?"

"I-I think so."

He moved to sit up and I took his hand to help. He hissed at the pain, but managed to do so without much trouble. I looked a little closer at the cut on his leg. It was pretty long, but it didn't look terribly deep. I wriggled out of my shirt and looked up at him.

"It's not safe to stay here. Think you can manage walking?"

He was looking around at the trees warily. "I don't think we've got much of an option."

I nodded and wrapped my shirt around the cut on his leg. I made sure to tie it tight to at least help stop the bleeding. He grimaced, but otherwise made no sign of discomfort. I pushed myself to my feet and held my hand out to him. I helped him stand and he tested putting weight on his leg. He took a few steps. It made him limp a bit, but he seemed to get around okay. He stopped to get his bearings and looked up at me.

"Your head is, uh… bleeding still," he pointed out.

I reached up to feel. I thought it had stopped. The sight of blood on my fingertips made my stomach queasy. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath to shake the feeling.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't go passing out on me again."

I smiled weakly and nodded. "I'm okay. Come on, we can take some supplies from the car."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, fair warning everyone. This chapter gets pretty graphic. If you prefer not to read that kind of thing, I suggest you skip this chapter... Maybe part of the next one too. Just giving everyone a heads up! Enjoy. :3

Thankfully there was a first aid kit. I tore open one of the alcohol pads and motioned for Ian to sit beside me. I started to clean the cut on his forehead and he watched me work. I put a couple of butterfly Band-Aids on it and handed him a clean one.

"Would you mind?" I asked, pointing to my head.

"Sure, sure," he mumbled.

He carefully wiped away the mud and blood from my face, continuing to glance to my eyes - perhaps for some sort of emotional response? I stared down at my hands to avoid meeting his gaze. I was too lost in my own thoughts for the moment to get wrapped up in thinking about him too. The reality of the situation was starting to sink in. It was extremely possible that none of us would make it out of here alive; few of us, at the very least. Would I make it home to see my friends and family?

"Please don't cry," Ian said softly.

I snapped out of it and looked up at him. I hadn't realized… I gave him a small smile and wiped my cheeks.

"Sorry," I said lamely. "I just…" I sighed and fixed my ponytail. "Trying to stay positive, I really am. The shock is starting to wear off and the impact of the situation we're in keeps slapping me right in the face."

I laughed and sniffled, opening another alcohol pad to wipe at the cuts on my arms and legs. He put his hands on mine. I was shaking.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he assured me.

I looked at him for a few seconds. It was probably not an appropriate thing to do, but I leaned forward and kissed him anyway. I needed the contact of something familiar. When I pulled back a few seconds later, I was surprised by how much better I felt.

"What made you come back?" he asked, tucking my bangs behind my ear.

I bit my lip, thinking it over. I didn't really have much of an answer. I relaxed a little and started stuffing things we would need into a backpack in the trunk so I wouldn't have to look at him.

"I don't know," I muttered. "I thought… I couldn't leave you here by yourself if you were still alive. I just…I had to check." I laughed at myself and looked up to meet his gaze. "I guess it's a good thing I did, right?"

He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. I blushed and rubbed my free hand across my forehead. I grimaced at the sting, but managed to get past it.

"I'm grateful that you did," he replied. "Watching that jeep get crushed… I couldn't stand the thought that you might not make it out in one piece…"

I blushed, pushing a gauze pad to my forehead. I unraveled some gauze bandaging and wrapped it around my head a few times to hold it in place and apply pressure. I pinned my bangs back into place and smiled at him.

"I tried to steel myself to the possibility of finding you in shreds," I whispered, zipping the bag shut. "You're a very brave, stupid, intelligent man Ian, you know that?"

He chuckled and took the bag from my hands. "Saved your life though, didn't I?"

I cut loose a few strips of seatbelt, handing a couple to him. "Yeah, I guess you did. Don't let that make you think I owe you or anything."

"Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it. And hey, looks like you've still got your camera."

I looked down. Sure enough, my camera case was still attached to my belt. I hadn't noticed. It was a small victory, I conceded, but a victory nonetheless. I laughed and we squelched through the mud and gravel to the enclosure wall. I looked over at him, holding up the strips of fabric in my hands.

"Have you ever been repelling before?"

He peered down over the edge. "I'm not gonna like this, am I?"

I sat on the ledge, wrapping my hands. "Dr. Grant has Lex and Timmy. I promised I'd find them once I went back for you. I saw the direction they were headed in. They've got a decent head start, but with the ground being soft we should be able to track them for a while." I picked up one of the wires and smiled over at him. "Wrap those around your hands so you don't get cut. It'll give you better control of your descent. Hold on tight or you'll drop too fast and snap your ankles."

"That's uh… reassuring," he muttered, doing as I requested. He sat down beside me and exhaled heavily.

"You ready?"

He looked at me for a few seconds before slowly nodding. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Great. Here we go."

I swung myself over the ledge, holding on for dear life. This was a lot more daunting when you didn't have the proper equipment. I steadied myself and waited for him to do the same.

"Good," I continued. "Now you want to relax your grip just a little and push off the wall with your feet; like this."

I demonstrated for him, slowly sliding down the wire.

"There you go. Not too fast, not too fast. Take your time with it. Go again."

Several long minutes later, we reached the bottom. I sighed, looking back up the wall. It was a good thing I had at least some basic survival skills. I made my way over to the second jeep, shining my flashlight. I could see their footprints leading away. I looked around through the darkness and foliage. The night seemed more alive now, like all the creatures were buzzing. At least the rain had stopped. Ian joined me, adjusting the straps of the bag on his back. I reached out to take his hand, lacing my fingers with his. I was beyond happy at not having to do this alone. Wandering through the rainforest by myself would be twice as terrifying as it already was. We'd been walking for a little over an hour when I heard a distant roar tearing through the quiet night. I jumped and looked over my shoulder. I couldn't tell where it was. I squeezed Ian's hand and looked up at him fearfully. He shifted his gaze around a moment before settling on me.

"We should climb a tree," I suggested. "We'll be safer the higher we are. We could get some rest."

He nodded and we headed for the nearest tree. The roots of most were gnarled, sticking up out of the ground. It made them easier to climb. I stopped when I was satisfied with how high we had climbed. The branches had woven and intertwined to create a small, relatively flat platform. I took Ian's hand and pulled him up to my level, still breathing hard from the climb. I dusted my hands off and sat down on the mossy surface. Honestly, it wasn't that uncomfortable. I had definitely slept on worse. I sighed heavily and leaned back against the tree trunk, relieved to not have to worry just for the time being. I handed Ian the flashlight. He turned it off and wriggled out of the backpack, putting it away to pull out the blanket I had packed. He hung it off one of the branches above us before sitting down beside me. I tilted my head to look over at him. He smiled faintly and put his arm around my shoulders. I closed my eyes and leaned against his side. He was warm. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. We sat like that for a long while, me listening to the beating of his heart and him gently caressing my arm across his stomach. The roaring continued to echo to us for another half hour or so before it finally stopped.

"Do you think anything else has gotten loose?" I asked to break the silence.

His other hand picked up on stroking the small of my back absentmindedly. "I don't know," he replied, looking across the dark treetops. "It doesn't sound completely out of the question considering."

I nodded, wondering to myself what other carnivorous dinosaurs might be on the island. My memory flashed back to the raptor cage. My heart started beating frantically just at the thought of it. I squeezed him tighter, praying they hadn't gotten loose.

"I can feel your heart racing," he murmured, looking down at me. "Everything okay?"

I nodded again and glanced up at him. "Just… remembering the raptors is all. God I hope they're still caged in…"

"For all our sakes…"

He sighed, his breath tickling down the back of my neck. I shivered both from the sensation and the dampness that remained in my clothes.

"You cold?" he asked, rubbing his hand up and down my arm.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to shake my focus from the hand tracing circles across my spine. "My clothes haven't dried yet."

"Maybe you should take them off…"

I laughed and sat up to look at him. His eyes twinkled and he smiled mischievously.

"Good to see this hasn't made you any less determined," I said playfully.

He chuckled, still pinning me against his side. "Maybe, but I am kinda serious. We can hang them up to dry for a few hours. We've got a blanket."

His eyes were starting to smolder again. He was looking into mine so intensely. I swallowed hard and blushed. I scooted away from him enough to sit on my knees. A smile slowly crept onto my face.

"In that case, you should probably take yours off too. I know you're soaked from the rain just as much as I am if not more. Besides, if I'm relying on you for warmth throughout the night I can't be snuggling up to your soggy clothes."

He grinned for a moment, sitting up. He reached for the buttons of his shirt, never taking his eyes off my face. I watched with great interest. He was doing so at a cruel pace. I couldn't help my mounting curiosity. He seemed amused by the interest I was taking in him undressing. I looked back to his face, his lips. They were calling to me. I leaned across him slowly, body trembling. I paused, barely any space between us. He leaned forward to close the gap, pressing his lips against mine. It felt like my body was going to melt, the way it sent tingles of excitement racing through my veins. I reached between us to push his hands away, pulling his shirt out of the edge of his jeans to finishing undoing the buttons. I leaned into the kiss, running my hands eagerly up his bare chest.

"We really shouldn't be doing this," I panted quietly as he helped me pull my shirt off over my head. I kissed him again more fervently. He nodded.

"Mmmhmmm… Yeah, I know. You're completely right."

He shrugged his shirt off and pulled me against him. I straddled his waist and nipped his bottom lip. I felt the shudder that ran through his body. His tongue sought mine, sweet and still vaguely minty. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me firmly against his body. I could feel his ragged breathing. His fingertips traced my spine, reaching to undo my bra. I separated myself from him to slide the straps off. He hung it over a branch and looked back at me. I had my arms crossed over my chest self-consciously. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss me, lips trailing down to my collarbone.

"Why so shy all of a sudden?" he asked softly. I could feel his lips moving against my skin.

I laughed. "It's easy for you to be shirtless. You don't have anything that needs covering."

He moved back to my lips, his hands cupping my face. "Neither do you. You're beautiful… every bit of you."

I allowed him to lower my arms, though with a bit of reservation. He pulled me against his chest and nuzzled the crook of my neck affectionately. I wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes. We sat there like that for a long while just holding each other.

"We should probably actually hang our clothes up," I finally said with a chuckle. "We don't want to lose anything."

He smiled and pecked my lips before we stood up. We gathered our shed clothing and hung them across the surrounding branches. I stepped toward him, reaching down to undo his belt. His hands mirrored mine, setting my camera case carefully in a niche of the trunk. A few minutes later we stood holding each other, nothing but skin touching skin. I'd had to rewrap his leg once we'd gotten his pants off, but it wasn't a big deal. It was worth it to be like this, feeling every inch of his skin burning against mine. He kissed my neck softly, grating his teeth across my throat. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, my mind going hazy. I felt almost drunk.

"I'll be gentle," he whispered in my ear. "We have all the time in the world. We'll take it slow."

He bit my earlobe and my knees went weak. I tangled my fingers in his curly hair, trying to find anything I could to hold on to. He turned, pushing me against the trunk of the tree. His lips returned to mine, crushing against them hungrily. I could feel him pressing against my hip, but dared not look down. His right hand slipped down between my legs and any semblance of thought I had was wiped away. I gasped and arched my back, squeezing him tightly. His gentle strokes made my knees quiver and shake. His fingers were quick and agile – he knew exactly what he was doing and how to do it. He pushed deeper, tentatively exploring. A half whimper, half moan escaped my lips. I grabbed desperately for his forearm, my other hand gripped his shoulder. He was biting lightly at the side of my neck again. I didn't know whether to focus on his teeth across my skin or his fingers working what had to be some kind of magic. I moaned again, louder this time, as his fingers moved quicker.

Every inch of my skin was alight with hot electricity. I could feel it down to the very core of my existence. I gasped for air, my heart pounding. I wasn't quite prepared for it when a tingling heat enveloped my entire body. I squeaked helplessly, my knees buckling. He caught me around the waist, forcing me to ride it out. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit hard on my lip, panting in his ear. With my mind struggling through the haze of pleasure, it took me a few seconds to register that he was guiding my movements. Supporting my weight with his hands gripping my thighs, he had positioned himself between my legs. He took a moment to stand still, just looking down at me. His gaze was soft, his eyes wandering over my face. I wasn't sure what he was looking for but he seemed to have found it. He reached up to stroke my cheek with his thumb. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss me. Though I could tell he was as excited as I was, this kiss was gentle, tongue moving more slowly than before.

"Are you ready?" he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine.

I locked my gaze on his, arms snaking up around his neck. I pulled him toward me, kissing the side of his jaw where it met his neck.

"I want you," I breathed in his ear.

That seemed to be all he needed. His other hand returned to my leg to hold me up and he carefully pushed himself inside. I let out a pained gasp and arched my back, tightening my grip on him. I dug my nails into his shoulders as though that might help somehow. My insides burned like fire. I could feel it all the way up in my chest constricting my lungs. His pace was slow as he had promised, but I wasn't entirely sure if that wasn't making it worse. I whimpered, barely audible, as I tried to remember how to breathe. His lips brushed across mine, moving across my jaw to my neck.

"I've got you," he murmured reassuringly in my ear. "I've got you."

I buried my face in his shoulder, delicate moans filling the night air. The pain was giving way to more pleasant feelings. I focused instead on the sensation of him pushing in and out, the way he brushed against all of my most sensitive spots. His chest was heaving against mine. Our bodies were slick with perspiration from the warm jungle air. I relished the feeling of his hot skin against mine. He leaned into my body, trailing kisses down my neck to my shoulder. He was steadily increasing his pace; faster, harder. I arched my back and wrapped my legs around his waist, panting in his ear. His breath hitched and he moaned deeply, seemingly pleased by my actions. He wrapped his arms around me and turned, carefully lowering me onto the blanket. The angle was new. I could feel him going deeper, brushing against my cervix. Any reservations I had snapped like twigs. The walls collapsed and I moaned repetitively, pulling his face down to mine to smother it with his lips. I prayed Dr. Grant had my cousins far enough away for them not to hear.

"Oh God," I gasped, biting down on his shoulder, anything to smother the sounds.

His scent was attacking my senses. It was spicy, sexy, enticing. I inhaled deeply, what felt like taking it straight to the brain. I could feel every nerve burning like live wires, resonating from deep in the center of my body. A millions sparks danced across my skin. I lost track of how much time had passed. It didn't seem to exist at the moment. Nothing mattered. It was just the two of us. I'd never felt closer to anyone as I did now. He hooked his arm under my body and sat back, pulling me with him. I straddled his waist, hugging his body to mine as I moved with the rhythm of his hips thrusting. I locked my arms around his shoulders, one hand tangling in his hair again, the other clinging to him for dear life. He pushed in hard a few more times before his body convulsed, muscles tightened. We moaned together in a moment of ecstasy, my body tensing with one last powerful climax. I gasped frantically in his ear, pleasure crashing down on me in waves.

We stilled a moment later and stayed like that for a long while, holding each other panting. My mind was in a fog. I couldn't move, let alone think. I felt lightheaded. I laughed quietly, chest still heaving, and relaxed to lean against him. He kissed my neck and wrapped his arms around me, hands caressing my back. I sat back to look him in the face, thumbs tracing the contour of his jaw line. He smiled, leaning his forehead against mine. He kissed my lips softly and lowered me back onto the blanket, pulling out to lie beside me. I curled against his side, my heart still racing. I rested my head on his chest, staring through the tree limbs but not really seeing anything. I was lost back in my thoughts again. This wasn't how I had expected this trip to go. At least I had great sex before I died, if it happened to go that way. Ian pulled as much of the blanket over us as he could, wrapping me in his arms to keep me warm. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax completely. If we did get out of here alive, he better at least call me…

* * *

I woke up the next morning to the sun dappled across my face through the leaves. I shut my eyes tight and groaned, stretching. My back was against Ian, his arm draped over my side. At the movement, he stirred and breathed in deeply, blinking a few times before his eyes focused. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Morning," he said coyly, kissing the side of my neck.

I laughed quietly and turned my head to kiss his lips. He growled and moved his hand to cup my breast, his fingers gently rubbing my nipple. We shouldn't be doing this now. We had business to take care of. He applied a little pressure and I inhaled sharply. He leaned deeper into the kiss, tongue flitting playfully across mine. I smiled and immediately abandoned my reservations, pressing my hips back against his. He chuckled and his hand left my chest, moving instead to the back of my thigh. He squeezed lightly, running his hand down to my knee and back up to butt. His lips moved to my neck. The arm I had been resting my head on reached underneath me to wrap around and continue the work his right hand left unfinished. I rocked back against his hips again. He groaned and slid his right hand between my thighs, slowly traveling the length of them. I could feel his erection in the small of my back. His hand moved back up my thighs, fingers tentatively seeking my clitoris.

I gasped and arched my back again, his fingers running in slow, intricate circles. Waves of heat and excitement pulsated through my body. His fingers continuously changed pattern. I was breathing hard and fast, pressing myself into the palm of his hand eagerly. He kissed my shoulder, two fingers slowly slipping inside me. I moaned gratuitously, hands grappling for something to hold onto. I squeezed his forearm, biting my lip hard to keep the gasping moans to a minimum. His fingers put pressure in all the right spots. I was about to climax. I gasped.

"Ian," I moaned deeply.

Right as my body tightened, he pulled his hand away. He hooked his arm under my thigh to hold it up and pushed himself inside me. I cried out, grinding my hips against his. Pleasure shot through my veins. The new angle was even better than last night. It allowed him to caress spots that he couldn't before, delving deeper and deeper. He moaned with me, biting down lightly on my shoulder. My mind was going fuzzy. I could hardly think. He pushed me over the edge again and again until my legs were shaking. I lost count. All I could process was his body against mine, his arms around me, the overwhelming sensation of him pushing against my cervix. When his body tightened, his stroke was hard and fast. We lay there panting for a long while. He pulled out and rolled me over to face him. I smiled and held his face in my hands. He chuckled, still out of breath, and leaned his head down to kiss me. On the bright side, it made the day ahead of us seem a little less daunting. I sighed heavily, wishing we were back home like this where we could lie in bed for hours if we wanted to. One step at a time. First we had to deal with the now.

"Lovely as this has been, we should get going," I said quietly. "We've got a lot of ground to cover."


	8. Chapter 8

We set about getting dressed. I grimaced at the crunch to my clothes, wishing I had something clean to put on. Once we were packed back up and I had tied my shoes tight, we started the descent to the ground. I stood on the roots, looking around through the trees warily. I had thought a night of rest might prepare me for this, but I was just as terrified as the night before. I took a deep breath and eased myself onto the ground. I waited patiently for Ian, taking his hand as we headed off. The forest was buzzing with life. In any other situation it might be nice, but I found it as unsettling as ever. I wished we had some way to arm ourselves; not that it would do much good, I suppose. It's not like lions and tigers were the worst of our worries.

The air was muggy today after last night's rain. Now would have been the perfect time to have my sunglasses. They'd gotten lost in the fray. Guess I couldn't complain much, since that was really the only thing I lost. All my extremities were in tact, albeit I was a little banged up. It could've been much worse than it was. I sighed and looked down at the ground. The footprints we'd been following were still pretty clear, thankfully. For that much I was grateful. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and tried to relax. My heart hadn't stopped racing since we set foot on the ground. Every rustling in the trees, every snapping twig sent it sputtering all over again.

I looked around and tried to focus instead on the things I'd never seen before – things I'd never see again if I were lucky. I touched the camera at my hip for reassurance and squeezed Ian's hand. Both were grounding. We'd been walking in silence for almost an hour when footprints converged on one of the massive trees. I looked up, shading my eyes from the sun. I didn't see anyone up in the branches. They must've had the same idea we did. I made a mental note to thank Dr. Grant. I tightened my ponytail and heaved another sigh. I circled around the tree until I found where the footprints picked up. They went a bit more to the right than the path we'd been taking, but it was a similar direction. I looked back at Ian, who was still squinting up at the treetops.

"Well, at least we know where they stayed the night," I said slowly. "Hopefully they aren't that far ahead of us."

Ian nodded and fell into step beside me, lacing his fingers with mine. I blushed despite myself. My mind continued to drift back to those moments of intimacy no matter how much I fought against it. I'd never done anything like that before and honestly it kind of surprised me. I wasn't lying when I told him that I wasn't good with people. The beginning stages of forming a relationship made me feel uncomfortable, so I never really bothered with it. Ian made me feel comfortable not just being around him, but with myself. It was new to me and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet. He kissed my cheek suddenly, drawing me out of my cloud. He leaned his forehead against the side of my head, chuckling softly.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked in my ear.

His breath tickled across my ear and down the side of my neck. I smiled and turned my head to give him a kiss.

"Nothing really," I replied, rubbing his hand with my thumb. "Just this situation."

I tucked my free hand into my pocket and kept my eyes on the ground. This was the only thing between us that was making me uncomfortable. More than anything I wanted to know what would happen once this was over; with the two of us, that is. It was one of the few things keeping me optimistic at this point. I couldn't say that I was in love with him. I wasn't crazy, after all. I just knew that there was a spark between us I'd only ever felt once before in my lifetime – and I let that slip right between my fingers like smoke. I didn't want to make the same mistake twice. How many sparks was a person allowed in a lifetime? Who knew if I'd get a third strike?

"Your, uh… Your palms are sweating," Ian pointed out, his voice slicing through my line of thought.

I blushed furiously and pulled my hand away quickly to wipe it on my shorts. I shook my head and smiled weakly, taking his hand automatically.

"Is everything okay?" he continued.

He sounded concerned. I finally looked up at him. His forehead was furrowed, eyes filled with worry. I chewed my lip and looked straight ahead, trying to organize in my mind what I wanted to say. I felt him squeeze my hand reassuringly. I exhaled slowly and looked down at our conjoined hands.

"Are we ever going to see each other again if we get off this island?" I blurted out.

I really wished I had my sunglasses to hide behind right now. I could feel his eyes scrutinizing my face, taking in my body language. I felt like a slide under a microscope. My heart was beating so frantically it hurt. After what felt like hours, I heard him chuckle. I looked over at him in surprise to see him smiling at me.

"Is that what you've been thinking about?" he asked in an amused tone, kissing the top of my head.

My face was burning. I watched the leaves crunch beneath my sneakers for a few seconds.

"Yeah," I mumbled lamely.

"Well, uh, assuming we do make it out of here alive," he continued, squinting in the sunlight, "I would like very much to see you again." He looked down at me, another grin spreading across his face. "You're a very curious, interesting girl Abby. If you'd allow me to… I'd like to take you out for coffee."

I raised an eyebrow and giggled nervously like a giddy schoolgirl.

"I see you were listening," I said.

"Of course. Like I said, you're interesting. I like to hear what you have to say."

His smile broadened; it really was contagious. Those dimples of his were irresistible. Christ he was beautiful. Was he even aware of how gorgeous he really was? I still found myself awestruck every now and then that no one else took to him the way that I did. He raised my hand to his lips, softly kissing the back of it. I smiled shyly and blushed, looking back to the path ahead of us. I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. In the chaos of things, it was nice to have one less thing to worry about. Even more so, it was nice to have the prospect of something to look forward to; something to strive for.

Several hours passed uneventfully, for which I was more than grateful. I tried not to get to comfortable with it. If I stopped expecting something to pop out of the trees and tear me in half, it might actually happen. The dense forest around us was slowly starting to thin out. I looked around at the changing scenery. We must be nearing the edge of the enclosure. I looked down for the first time in a long while and blanched. I didn't see the footprints we'd been following anymore. I swore we hadn't stopped walking in a straight line. I spun in a circle, swearing under my breath. They must've veered off one way or the other.

"What is it?" Ian asked, looking down at his own feet.

I sighed heavily and put my hands on my hips, sticking out my bottom lip with agitation.

"We strayed from the path we were following," I grumbled. "I guess they must've turned. I was in my own little world when I wasn't talking to you. Y'know, trying not to think about the dinosaurs running wild without being naïve about it."

He nodded and patted me on the back to urge me on. "Well, I suppose we may as well stick to the path we're taking now. We'll come to something sooner or later, whether it be fence, road, or beach. They're in good hands with Dr. Grant. He'll take care of them."

I nodded and tried to smile. I mentally kicked myself a few times. I should've been paying more attention. Lex and Tim must be scared out of their minds. I shook my head and forged on. Trying to punish myself would get me nowhere. All I needed to do was be a little more alert. No more daydreaming, even it was half the reason I hadn't gone insane and had a panic attack yet. I looked over at Ian and reached out to take his hand again. This luck we'd been having couldn't possibly stick with us forever. When I first saw the fence peeking through the sparse trees, I wasn't sure what it was. The closer we got, the quicker I tried to walk. I had to force myself to keep a slow pace for Ian, since his leg was still jacked up. I grinned back at him excitedly, gazing up at the paddock fence as it rose to tower over us.

We looked on both ways. It curved and rolled with the hills and changes in topography. There wasn't an end to it in sight. I sighed and shielded my eyes, craning my neck to get a look at the top. The lights up top were still off. It looked like they hadn't gotten the power turned back on yet. I didn't take that as a good sign. I looked around for something to throw at the wires, just to be sure. Once I was finished throwing sticks and prodding, I decided it really was shut off.

"So do we, uh… climb it?" Ian asked, squinting up at the top.

I nodded appreciatively. "That's what it looks like. Don't worry. We've got all the time in the world. There's no rush."

I hoisted myself up onto the concrete platform, holding my hand out to for him to take. Once I pulled him up, we stood side by side for a few minutes, eying the fence cautiously.

"Right," I muttered to myself. "Here we go. Just like climbing a ladder. An extremely tall, wibbly wobbly ladder…"

I extended my arms as far as I could above my head and grabbed a hold of the wires, taking my first steps up. I heard Ian laughing and threw him a curious glance. He just kept laughing and shook his head.

"This is exactly what I mean," I explained playfully. "We're on this, uh, island… filled with dinosaurs; no idea how many are loose or where said dinos might be… And you're here uh… quoting Doctor Who… I love it."

I smiled and blushed, continuing my ascent.

"You're welcome!" I trilled over my shoulder.

The climb didn't take as long as I expected it to. Roughly fifteen minutes later I was sitting on the concrete barrier on the other side of the fence, kicking my feet back and forth lightly as I waited for Ian to make the climb. I smiled up at him and stood up to help him off the fence and onto the concrete beside me. We took a couple of minutes to collect ourselves. I leaned against his shoulder, holding his left hand in between mine. I traced the shape of it absentmindedly, running my fingertips down the back of his hand and down his fingers. I sighed and closed my eyes. It was yet another peaceful, charming illusion. I greatly looked forward to the days where this whole island would be behind me. For now I was just relieved to be out of the T-rex paddock.

We continued on for a short while, talking and laughing in quiet, playful tones. The dusty, desert-like ground soon gave way to patches of grass. It took me by surprise when we were suddenly surrounded by rolling, green hills. I grabbed Ian's wrist to read his watch. Had it really been another hour? I stretched all the way down to my toes and adjusted my ponytail. Far to the left, the hills rose higher to form a bit of small, mountainous terrain, cresting into a cliff. The trees there thickened and I could hear the sound of running water. When I started hearing these deep, echoing wails on top of that, I wasn't sure what to make of it. As I strained to listen, the sound kept changing; grunts, something that sounded almost like some kind of horn or tuba… I couldn't quite make it out. I could only assume it was a dinosaur of some sort. It worried me that I couldn't tell what it was. The lack of roaring led me to believe that it wasn't a carnivore. Still, it made me hesitate.

"Should we go another way?" I asked quietly, looking at Ian with worry.

He frowned and replied, "Well, it doesn't sound like they're very close. Why don't we just get to the top of this hill and take a look. We can always change our course."

I nodded and took a deep breath. We were almost there already. I hunched over, trying to make myself less visible. I wasn't at all prepared for what I saw. Down the hill and across a massive field was the biggest grouping of dinosaurs I had seen yet. More than that, there were so many different species all gathered at this massive lake together. A waterfall cascaded down from the cliff's edge, frothing where it met the lake. I inhaled sharply and eased myself down onto my stomach on the grass. It was the most beautiful landscape I had ever seen. My eyes roamed across the herds, picking them apart.

Lambeosaurus was closest to us, gathered near the tree line. The largest stood back on its hind feet, looking across the field while it lazily chewed some leaves. Judging by the shape of the crest of top of its head and the size, this must be the alpha male. It let loose a soft bellow and returned to grazing. The group slowly echoed the call. They were the source of the muffled horn-ish sound, apparently. On the shore and walking through the lake was a herd of Ouranosaurus. Their flat bills always amused me, for some reason. I watched a couple of juveniles as they splashed around near a neighboring her of Iguanadons, which were another personal favorite of mine. Tsintaosaurus, Parasaurolophus… I couldn't believe the variety I was seeing here; and they were all so colorful. I smiled and laughed quietly, wiping the tears from my eyes. Despite the horrors we had experienced, this place still managed to be so exquisite.

Ian was standing beside me wearing a similarly amazed expression. I pushed myself to my feet and wrapped an arm around his waist. He chuckled and slung his arm over my shoulders. We stood for a long while just watching. Finally I sighed and smiled up at him.

"I guess we should keep moving," I said reluctantly.

He nodded, still watching as they moved about without a care in the world. I took a moment to pull out my camera and snap a few shots before I took his hand and cautiously started off down the other side of the hill. It worried me, being out in the open like this. There was another patch of trees out in the middle of the field that looked pretty dense and massive the closer we got to it. We were only about halfway there when a loud bellow made me jump. I looked around with wide eyes. Every hadrosaur I could see was crying out in alarm, calling to one another. Somehow I didn't really expect it when the alpha Lambeosaurus let out another bellow and dropped onto all fours, leading the group in a charge in our direction.

I stood, frozen. I wasn't sure what to do. Should we run back up the hill or head for the trees? A reaction like that from every dinosaur at that lake told me the t-rex had to be near. Now we not only had to worry about getting eaten, but there was a raging stampede thundering toward us. The ground quivered beneath our feet. I squeezed Ian's hand and looked at him in alarm.

"Ian!" I yelled over the noise. "What do we do?! Up the hill or into the trees?"

He glanced over our shoulder, to the dinosaurs drawing ever nearer, to the trees. He growled quietly and tugged on my hand, dragging me with him down the hill. I watched their progress. There was no way we were going to make it to the trees. They were too big, covering too much ground. I knew I could be running faster, but I would be damned if I was going to leave Ian behind. I squeezed his hand a little tighter, chest constricting. This couldn't be how it ended. It just couldn't. Suddenly they were upon us, grunting and calling back and forth to each other. Massive feet, legs, bodies surrounded us. I admitted that to myself that they weren't nearly as big as I thought they might be, but they were still big enough to crush us into dust. They were so close to us, racing past. If I reached my hand out far enough, I could touch one. I ducked, narrowly avoiding a tail as it swung past me. Ian's hand was ripped away from mine. I jerked to a stop and spun back around. He was sprawled out on the grass. He must've tripped. I dove out of the way of one of the Iguanadons, quickly scrambling back over to help him back to his feet.

"Come on!" I urged, tugging on his arm.

He looked woozy, eyes unfocused. I saw fresh blood trickling down the side of his head. I swore loudly. One of them must've clipped him. His body went limp. I exhaled sharply, staring down at him in shock for a minute. I looked around wildly, panting. There were still so many coming our way. I grabbed him under the arms and tried to drag him out of the way. I didn't get very far. I wasn't strong enough to carry him to safety. More importantly, I was worried his legs might get smashed. I swung them out of the way and cradled him to my chest. I didn't know what else to do. I squeezed my eyes shut and doubled over, protecting him as best as I could. The air whipped past like we were in the eye of a storm. I couldn't bring myself to look up.

The shaking of the ground eased and slowly faded. I could feel my heart beating frantically against my ribcage. I cautiously lifted my head. The last stragglers were well past us. I looked over my shoulder. The lake and the clearing were empty. I didn't hesitate to stagger to my feet and start dragging him out of the way again. It didn't matter to me that the stampede was over. The adrenaline was still here. On top of that, I knew in the back of my mind that something had caused them to panic like that. I didn't want to be left out in the open if that t-rex came sniffing around. By the time I'd managed to get us into the trees again, he was starting to come to. I knelt on the ground beside him, breathing heavily. I leaned over him and touched his face.

"Ian?" I said quietly. "Ian, can you hear me?"

He lifted his hand to touch mine and then pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times before he looked up at me with a frown. I smiled with relief and allowed myself to collapse onto the ground for a moment to catch my breath.

"What happened?" he grumbled, sitting up with a hand pressed to his head.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "I don't know if you got swiped or what. You were out for maybe ten minutes, fifteen tops. We… are fucking lucky we didn't get crushed."

He groaned again and dragged his hands down his face, lying back down beside me. I glanced at him for a few seconds and just started laughing. He twisted his head to look at me with a curious grin. I just shook my head. I couldn't stop. How long were we going to be able to fly by the seat of our pants like this? I was getting really tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop.


	9. Chapter 9

I sighed heavily and rolled over, pushing myself to my feet.

"All right, come on," I urged. "Let's keep moving. I don't think we should stay here like this much longer. We should stick to the trees, though. Something made them all freak out like that. It had to be the t-rex. It might not necessarily be nearby. It could just be upwind. Either way, it would be best to stick to the trees where we have a place to hide if we need to."

He groaned and took the hand I was holding out to him, allowing me to pull him to his feet once more. We followed along the tree line, far enough in that we could hide quickly if we needed to but not so deep in that we lost sight of the green hills beyond. I kept careful track of any curves our path took. I could vaguely picture the layout of the land I had seen from the top of the hill – only what I could see, of course. This grouping of trees had extended pretty far over the next hill. I hadn't seen where it came to an end, so it must be a good ways in the distance. Width wise, it was pretty narrow. Once we hit the edge going the way we were going, all we should need to do was turn to the left and continue straight on.

I hardly thought about taking his hand anymore – I just did it. I squeezed it tight in mine, worry creasing my forehead as I looked through the seemingly endless expanse of dense trees. It would be easier to not think about it, about what could be out there. Then again, I guess I never really was one to make things easier on myself. The stampede had put me more on edge than I had already been to begin with. My nerves were frayed and raw. If it weren't for him I'd probably be hiding under a bush somewhere in the fetal position going insane – or, you know… dead - neither of which were appealing options.

I could see where the trees abruptly ended shortly ahead of us. I directed Ian into the trees. It was making me nervous walking so closely to the open. Seemingly sensing my unease, he squeezed my hand reassuringly and kissed the top of my head. I smiled, stepping over the increasingly large tree roots. I shook my head and stopped, waiting for him to pause by my side. He gave me a curious look, those heavy eyebrows of his furrowed. I sighed and pressed my face into his chest. I just needed a few minutes to clear my head and I had a feeling I could do it better if I wasn't focusing on the world around me. He seemed content to allow me the normalcy. He wrapped his arms around me, one hand rubbing the back of my neck to soothe me.

"Everything all right?" he asked tentatively.

I could feel the vibration of the words in his chest. I nodded and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I just need a minute to collect my thoughts," I said in voice muffled by his shirt. "I can't… think. I mean I can think, but… you know… not about anything pleasant."

A chuckle rumbled through his body. His right arm hugged me closer.

"And you uh… needed a distraction?" he asked.

I didn't miss the teasing tone of his voice. I smiled and reached up to play with his necklace.

"Just for a minute," I replied, stretching to nuzzle the crook of his neck affectionately. "A minute to not think about everything else is all I need."

He rested his head on top of mine. "I uh, think I can agree to that."

I laughed quietly and closed my eyes, taking a few more deep relaxing breaths. I told myself to calm down. It would be much easier to muddle through this if I could let a little of the tension slip away – even in the slightest. I was just starting to allow myself to relax when I felt Ian stiffen. I frowned and opened my eyes.

"I don't uh, mean to alarm you, Abbie," Ian said slowly. My body tensed, fear coursing through my body. "I think you… you might want to look down."

I looked down at my feet and twisted around to see what he meant. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Half-hidden by fallen leaves was a cluster of eggshells. Their shape and size led me to believe that they didn't belong to any animal native to the island. My stomach dropped. I stepped away from him and knelt down to pick one up. I turned it over carefully in my hands and looked up at Ian. He was wearing a concerned expression. He moved to kneel beside me, gazing down at the empty nest for a long moment. He sighed heavily.

"Sometimes I really hate being right," he muttered.

"They're breeding in the wild," I said in confusion. "How in the hell…?"

"Like I said…" He turned over one of the empty shells. "… Life uh… finds a way…"

I nodded in amazement and gently set it back down with the others, pushing myself back to my feet. Well, so much for shaking some of that stress. I took up his hand again and we started back through the trees keeping a careful eye out. I wondered where Dr. Grant was with my cousins right now and if they had been as lucky as we had so far. I distracted myself for a while with humming. Ian glanced down at me periodically with an amused smile on his face when he thought I wasn't looking.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked suddenly.

I stepped over a fallen tree branch and nodded, frowning curiously.

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

I burst out laughing before I could catch myself. I smiled over at him.

"Boy, you really do like to move fast, don't you?" I teased, giving his arm a squeeze. "Next thing you know I'll be walking around your place with a baby on my hip and another in the oven."

He chuckled and raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Well, the idea does sound rather appealing..."

I scoffed and pushed him lightly.

"No, but uh… In all seriousness," he continued. "Do you, uh, see yourself ever having children? Or is it something you haven't thought much about?"

I blushed, giggling nervously. I tucked my bangs behind my ear a few times compulsively. I wasn't sure why the subject made me nervous. Was it because now I couldn't seem to shake the image of the two of us fawning over a baby that was ours? For a moment I was lost in the thought of holding beautiful, chubby little baby in my arms, tufts of that same wiry black hair sprouting from the top of his or her head, a toothless grin cooing up at me. Christ we would make lovely children (lovely imaginary children, in the least). By the time I came to my senses, I had more or less sent our three children off to their first days of school.

"Oh, um… I mean, I-I've considered it," I stuttered out, flustered by my own thoughts. "I do love children and I'm somehow quite good with them. I always have been; pretty effortlessly, actually. Kids just seem to like me."

Ian smiled and a foreign look passed over his face. It was soft, satisfied almost. I wasn't sure why. He nodded and shifted his gaze back to the path.

"I can see that," he commented. "You seem like the uh… motherly type."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I guess. I don't know. I mean I want to be pretty well established in a career before I think about having children. I want to be able to give them the stability they need and deserve."

I paused to squint up at him. The sunlight dappled down on his face through gaps in the leaves from the treetops. Sunbeams caught his hazel eyes, making the shades of greens and browns pop. He pushed a stray curl back from his forehead and glanced back down at her, chasing away his thoughtful expression with a playful grin. I blushed, smiling down at my feet.

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to laugh?" I asked hesitantly?

His grin widened. He pulled on my hand, bringing me closer to him. He rested his forehead on the side of my head and teasingly growled in my ear.

"What's got you all uh… flustered?" he asked, reaching up to twirl strand of hair at the base of my neck.

The gesture sent an involuntary shudder down my spine. I giggled helplessly, struggling to keep my feet working. I cleared my throat.

"Just promise you won't laugh," I muttered bashfully.

He chuckled. "All right, all right… I promise."

"I just don't get a chance to talk about stuff like this much with my friends back home. It doesn't come up much. And I know that I don't really come off as the type, but… I used to plan out how I'd like my wedding when I was little."

He looked like he really did want to giggle. I laughed and pushed him lightly.

"Shut up. It may not sound that unusual but it was for me. My sister and I were raised with the daughters of a family friend, who were more or less the same age. Growing up we didn't play a bunch of sissy la la games. We ran around the backyard playing X-Men and Power Rangers and Charlie's Angels. Our moms were single parents. We didn't really talk much about men and marriage or anything like that. I just kind of figured out on my own what I wanted. I didn't have sex until I was in my twenties. Even then the ideal have never really changed. I've always had it in mind that I didn't want to have children until I was married. It seemed like the smart thing to do. I mean I guess if I wasn't married by the time I was in my late twenties then I could just have one myself, but… Marriage was something that I always wanted."

"Even though your uh… parents… didn't work out, I take it?" he asked.

I smiled. "I don't think I've ever really seen a married couple with a healthy relationship, actually. Almost all of my friends had single moms. I had maybe two friends my entire life that had a father present through high school. Even then one of them got divorced after! I have no delusions about marriage being some magical, happily ever after. Trust me. I just… It's a bond that I'd like to share with someone that I love. No elaborate ceremony, no gaudy princess gown. I don't need a thousand people to be there to see it. I just want the most important people in my life to be there. Call me old fashioned."

He was quiet for a moment. "What would you uh, want your wedding to be like?"

I glanced up at him. He was watching the path ahead of us. He didn't look or sound sarcastic at all. He sounded like he really wanted to know. I sighed, mulling the question over in my mind.

"I always thought it would be nice to have an outdoor wedding," I replied. "I had a dream once about getting married beside a lake. The idea kind of stuck. The scenery was so vivid and beautiful… I just really liked the idea. I've always loved nature anyway, so I guess it's only fitting."

"Mmmhmm. And uh… the reception?"

I laughed and shook my head. I wasn't sure why I was telling him all of this. Usually the thought of it made it seem like some far off fairy tale. Having this discussion with him made it feel almost like he was getting a feeling for what my future plans were. I hoped he wasn't too disappointed by what he was hearing.

"The same," I continued. "Something simple, preferably outdoors or at least with a veranda – maybe early evening so we can watch the sun set and the stars come out."

"We?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

I blanched, blushing madly. I opened and closed my mouth a few times like a fish out of water before I found my voice.

"Me and my husband, that is," I quickly stuttered out. "Shut up, you knew what I meant Ian…"

He threw his head back and laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulder to pull me into a hug. Good. It allowed me to hide my embarrassment in the side of his shirt. I  _had_  been thinking about him as my groom, after all. I was getting way to far ahead of myself with that one. It didn't hurt to dream. He was a lovely man with an excellent mind. The thought crossed my mind again – we could certainly make some beautiful children, the two of us. I grinned wickedly and stood up straight.  _One step at a time_ , I told myself.  _One step at a time_.


	10. Chapter 10

The mountainous landscape rose up to surround us sooner than I would have liked. By midday my stomach was aching, howling at the hollow empty feeling. It was getting harder to ignore, but at this point there wasn't much else to do except ignore it. I swiped the back of my hand across my forehead, squinting in the sunlight. I could feel the sting of sunburn on my face and arms, but tried not to think about it (though it was getting increasingly difficult to ignore). We'd been trudging uphill for some time now. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath, looking at the landscape. It was quite beautiful. I sighed heavily. For the hundredth time, I tried to imagine we were vacationing somewhere exotic. I shook my head and huffed, pushing onward. Rising up in the distance, I could see what looked like another fence. I swatted Ian's arm with excitement.

"Ian!" I squealed. "Look! Another one! Christ, how far do you think we've come?"

He squinted in the harsh sunlight and grimaced. "Oh, I'd uh… rather not think about that…"

I laughed and shook my head again. I don't know why it excited me so much. Something told me that there were only so many fences we could come across. Two down felt good, reassuring. I smiled, wondering to myself how much further we would have to go to get back to the main building. Which fence was this was the better question. If it was the perimeter fence, they would be that much closer to safety [an idea which pleased her greatly]. Movement far ahead to the right caught me by such surprise that I felt like I nearly jumped out of my skin. All I could think to do was hit the dirt, pulling Ian down with me. He grunted at the impact, but didn't say a word, looking around in alarm. I stretched up a little, peering through the weeds. I wasn't sure what to expect.

Now that I had a moment to gather my thoughts, I realized it wasn't dinosaurs; it was people. I recognized the blue shirt immediately. I scrambled back to my feet, taking Ian's hand to help him up.

"It's Dr. Grant!" I exclaimed. "Oh my gob, we found them! Holy Jesus tits! Come on."

My words and phrases started blending together the more and becoming more or less unintelligible the more excited I got. Holding his hand firmly, I started back up the hill with new vigor. He gave a light chuckle, allowing me to drag him along. I knew better than to call out to them. We didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention to ourselves. My instincts told me to run to them and shelter them like a mother bird protecting her chicks, but the rest of me held back to stay by Ian's side. I bounced back and forth between the two, racing ahead before running back to him giggling. They hadn't seen us yet. I waved my arms over my head, trying to get their attention. God, I really just wanted to scream at them and laugh and cry all at once.

"Dr. Grant!" I called cautiously, trying not to raise my voice too much. We weren't close enough yet. "Dr. Grant!"

Just like Timmy to have the ears of a fucking puppy, he whipped his head in my direction. His face lit up. Even from this distance I could see the look of internal gleeful screaming [it was probably similar to the look on my face]. He ran to meet me, his absence finally gaining the attention of Lex and Dr. Grant. I scooped Tim into my arms and squealed with laughter, spinning him in circles. Lex blindsided me, nearly knocking the two of us to the ground. I had never been so happy to see my cousins in my whole life.

"We were so worried!" Lex sobbed, squeezing my waist. "You never came back…"

I smiled grimly, pushing her messy bangs back out of her face. "I know, Lex. I'm sorry. We've been trying to find you, but… I'm sure you've realized just as much as we did that there's a lot of ground to cover." I set Timmy back on his feet and looked the two of them over. "How are you feeling? Are you guys doing okay?"

Dr. Grant had come to join us, shaking Ian's hand and offering him a quiet greeting. He looked over at me and I smiled, hoping he could see how earnestly grateful I was.

"Thank you for keeping them safe, Dr. Grant. I appreciate it."

He smiled and nodded. "Of course." He turned his attention back to the fence, shading his eyes as he squinted up at the top. "Now, how do you figure the way past this is? Do you think we can fit through it?"

I scrambled up on the cement beside him to investigate. "Well, we already made it over one paddock fence. Honestly, we just had to climb over."

"Are you sure they're still out?"

"Well, I mean…"

I looked up at the lights that should be flashing. They were still dead. I didn't hear any kind of buzz signaling electrical current. I shrugged. He tossed the stick in his hand at the fence. It clattered to the cement without a reaction of any kind. He looked to me and back to my cousins and Ian with a shrug.

"I guess that means the power's still off," he said, approaching the fence.

He reached his hands out, hovering over the wires. He glanced at me and grinned wickedly. I wasn't sure what he meant to do until he grabbed the wires and started to yell and shake. I jumped a little in surprise. Lex and Tim screamed until he stopped and looked back at them with a crooked grin. Lex scowled, though Timmy lowered the hands he'd been hiding behind to laugh.

"That  _wasn't_  funny," Lex snapped.

"That was great," Tim said over her.

I chuckled and shook my head, shading my eyes as I looked up at the wall. Dr. Grant was testing the spacing.

"I think our best shot is to go over this one, too," I said. "Well, I don't know… Timmy, you might be able to fit through…"

The sound of the T-rex roaring broke us of our exploring. We all looked over our shoulders. It sounded close.

"Come on," I said quietly, reaching my hands out to my cousins to help them up. "It's okay. Come on."

I got them climbing and helped Dr. Grant pull Ian to his feet. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Hopefully it would stay at a distance at the very least long enough for us to get over the fence and away into the foliage on the other side. I blinked hard, forcing my shaking hands to steady. I checked on Lex and Timmy to see their progress. We were doing pretty well so far.

"Timmy, I bet I could climb over the top and be on the other side before you could even get to the top," Lex teased.

I scoffed and shook my head. Competitive little shit. I shared a smile with Ian.

"What would you give me?" Tim asked?

"Respect."

Dr. Grant interjected before he could get out his next smart comment. "Come on guys, it's not a race."

He scowled and stuck his tongue out at his sister. I giggled and swung my leg over the top, holding my hands out to help steady Lex as she did the same.

"Here we go; over the top," Dr. Grant continued – more to himself than to anyone else it would seem.

I helped Ian swing his good leg over first to make it easier to start the descent. I glanced up to check on Tim. He looked like he was struggling a bit.

"Take your time, Timmy," I told him. "You got it. Watch your footing. There you go. Come on."

I edged a little closer to him hoping to make him feel more secure. He offered me a weak smile and kept moving. I watched down below as Lex hopped down onto the barrier and then onto the ground, grinning up at me with a pleased look on her face. I smiled and gave her a thumbs up, making sure Ian wasn't having any trouble with moving along. He reached the bottom just a few steps behind Dr. Grant. I was right there. I could easily step off. I looked back up at Timmy to ask how he was doing. An alarm on the fence started going off. I jumped and nearly let go of it right then and there. Tim cried out in alarm and lost his footing, pulling himself back up. One of the lights was flashing now. I didn't know what blue meant, but that in combination with the alarm scared the shit right out of me.

"Timmy!" I called up to him. "Tim! Come on, keep moving!"

"Get down now!" Lex screamed. She sounded ten times as terrified as I did.

"Timmy!" Dr. Grant shouted. "You're gonna have to jump! Abigail, come down off the fence!"

"You crazy? I'm not gonna jump!" Timmy squealed in a high-pitched voice.

"Tim, do what Dr. Grant says!" Lex argued.

I shook my head and grumbled, hurrying back up to him despite the protests I heard below. I smiled at him and took his hand.

"Listen, squirt. Everything is going to be okay. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?" He nodded reluctantly. "Okay. I'm gonna climb over you. What I want you to do is turn to face me and hold on to me. Wrap your arms around my shoulders, wrap your legs around my waist. Hold on to me like a little Timmy spider monkey, you got it?"

"Got it."

I nodded once and reached across him to grab a hold of the wiring on the other side of him. He groaned and took a deep breath, whimpering and muttering to himself as he did as I had asked him to.

"Good, that's good. I've got you Timmy. Don't worry."

I wrapped one arm around him and looked down at the ground. Dangling there by one hand the ground suddenly seemed so far away. No wonder he didn't want to jump. Now for the tricky part. I breathed out slowly and closed my eyes.

"We're ready!" I called out. "Tim, I'm going to count to three. One…" I loosened my grip a little. I was barely holding on by my fingertips. "Two…"

I felt a sharp pain in my fingertips and saw a burst of light. My chest constricted, suffocating me. I tightened my arm around Timmy, fighting the falling sensation I was feeling. I wasn't sure what was happening. My mind was a jumbled mis-mash of frayed thoughts. It all happened very quickly, though it felt like it took a very long time for me to eventually lose consciousness.

* * *

A blinding flash of light accompanied by a loud electrical zap sent Abigail flying, Tim clutched in her arms still. Dr. Grant and Ian managed to catch the two, tumbling to the ground in the process.

"Jesus," Ian muttered, supporting her head as she lay there convulsing for several long seconds.

Dr. Grant spent a moment poking and prodding Tim to make sure he was breathing. He gasped, arms flailing about, and rolled in the dirt coughing until he was satisfied with how much air he had in his lungs. Lex, who was in hysterical tears by now, came to sit with him and Dr. Grant moved to kneel beside Abby. Her eyes had rolled back in her skull. After nearly an entire minute of shaking, her body had gone limp and she hadn't moved again. Dr. Grant leaned down, checking her pulse. Her heart hadn't stopped yet, at least there was that. It was struggling, though. He started chest compressions, counting under his breath. He nodded to Ian, who dipped down to breathe for her.

"Is she okay?" Tim choked out.

"She'll be all right," Dr. Grant replied, concentrating on what he was doing. "Just relax Timmy. Catch your breath, gather your bearings."

He shared a look with Ian, wondering if he was feeling the same sense of panic that he was that she hadn't been revived yet. How cruel a fate would it be to survive the dinosaurs only to be bested by the very fence meant to keep them safe? In the midst of his thoughts, her body jerked. Though her face still showed no signs of life, her arms jumped sporadically once more. He shook his head, mentally kicking himself and turned her on her side, patting her hard on the back. After another few agonizingly long seconds of silence and stillness, some sort of liquid spilled out of her mouth. Abby coughed and choked, gasping for air. Ian laughed and held her hair back from her red face.

Ian pulled a bottle of water out of their backpack to give her a drink before passing it around to the rest of them. She blinked hard, not entirely focused yet on where she was or what had happened. Her head lolled to the side and she looked over at Timmy. He smiled weakly and reached over to take her hand.

He looked up at the fence and back to her, laughing still. "Three…"


	11. Chapter 11

It took a few minutes for me to gather my senses. My chest was aching fiercely. I looked up at the fence counting my blessings. I was lucky to be alive and very grateful that Tim seemed to be unscathed. Dr. Grant helped me sit up, Ian taking my hand in his.

"You've got some burns," he said, digging through my backpack.

I looked to the offending hand. My fingertips were starting to blister. I hissed at the sting. Ian dug through the first aid kit to apply some burn cream and band-aids, winding tape down my fingers so they wouldn't fall off. I giggled as I watched.

"Is that really necessary?" I asked. "I don't think my fingers are in any danger of detaching."

He smiled up at me, though I noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. Lex was hovering over Tim a few feet away while Dr. Grant checked him over to make sure he was okay. Ian took my hands again, looking over my bandaged fingers.

"I, uh… thought you were going to die for a minute there," he said quietly enough for the children not to hear. I watched his eyes, the way they glazed in remembrance. He glanced up at me, thumbs stroking the backs of my hands. "I think you can understand if I take a take a few extra precautions."

I swallowed hard, nodding fervently. I did understand. I remembered clearly enough the feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach when I thought he might be dead. I was surprised that it pleased me on a small level that he had felt a wave of panic at the thought of my imminent demise. Maybe he did care, if even the smallest bit, about more than simply a physical relationship. I shook my head. It was petty to think such thoughts, especially in a situation such as this. I watched as Ian repacked my bag and slipped his shoulders into the straps. Taking me by the crook of my arm, he helped me to my feet. Lex fell into step close by my right side. Tim was chatting with Dr. Grant, following at his heels. He still looked a bit fried. I imagined I looked twice as bad.

I noticed with some dismay that Ian was limping more than he had before. I pursed my lips, eyeballing the bloodstain on his pant leg. It would only continue to worsen no doubt. It desperately needed to be treated. Apart from the fear of infection, there was also the worry of predators catching the scent of fresh blood. He caught me looking and flashed me a reassuring smile, reaching over to take my hand. I offered him the best smile I could, averting my attention elsewhere. Lex took note of the exchange between Ian and myself and grinned knowingly. I chuckled and nudged her playfully.

My mind wandered to my grandfather. Where was he in all of this? Locked up somewhere safe, I supposed. It must be nice to be in a safe room, not worrying about dinosaurs jumping out of every bush you walk past. I shook my head. It wouldn't do me any good to be angry with him. It wasn't his fault – not entirely. Still, the emotion burned at the back of my mind. It took a certain amount of arrogance to even attempt the kind of control he was trying to maintain. I sighed and squinted up at the treetops. How much longer would we have to wander out here on our own with no supplies? Another hour and a half had already passed. As if in answer to my thoughts, Lex gasped and squeezed my hand.

"Look!" she exclaimed. "Look up there! I see a road!"

Sure enough, up ahead through a break in the trees I could see the foliage leveling out to some sort of path. It wasn't the road we had traveled in on, but I wasn't going to be too picky at the moment. I was just glad to have something to follow. I smiled and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Should we go ahead and cut to the left?" I asked. "I mean I guess either way it'll eventually get us somewhere, right?"

"Right," Dr. Grant agreed, squinting down the road as he headed onward. "Hopefully sooner rather than later, hmm?"

I laughed and nodded my agreement. "Yeah. I think I might have skin cancer by the time we're done here. I can feel myself slowly baking."

Tim giggled. "By the time we get home you're gonna be one giant freckle, Abby."

I pursed my lips, throwing him a look. He grinned innocently. Him and his sister were going to be the death of me. I heard Ian chuckling and raised an eyebrow at him. He just smiled and kissed the top of my head. I tried to keep track of where we were going. It was a difficult task. I didn't recognize anything we passed. I didn't even recognize the road we were on. There were no electric tracks like the one we had come in on, so it must be some kind of service road. Following the road, the land soon rose up around use, leaving us in a valley of sorts. It made me uneasy. A path like this left us unguarded without much cover or easy escape.

Far too quickly, the sun was disappearing behind the foliage-ridden hills and mountains around us. It was far from dark, but I was wary of the shade. I had to admit the reprieve from the scathing sunlight was welcome, though I felt ill at ease knowing darkness would soon fall once more. Even more so knowing that we didn't have the safety of the same tall trees to return to. I rubbed Ian's hand anxiously, eyes scanning the path, foliage, and everything in between. He rubbed his chin, glancing over his shoulder. I imagined he was feeling much the same as I was. On the bright side, Lex and Tim seemed much more at ease to be back by my side. For this much I was grateful.

"I think we should start looking for a place to stop for the night," I suggested. "The sun will be setting soon and we don't want to be caught out in the open once it gets dark."

Dr. Grant nodded his agreement. "Good idea. I think we should stay near the road. If they send out a search party we don't want to miss it."

I muttered some semblance of acknowledgement, keeping my doubts to myself. I felt Ian's eyes pass over me, knowing he must be having similar thoughts. I offered him a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand despite the sting it brought mine. Watching Dr. Grant break from the road, I hesitated. My heart pounding this hard made me feel nauseous. Lex and Tim smiled back at me from the path they were pushing through the foliage. I nodded and looked up at Ian. He flashed me a charming, confident smile.

"Now don't be too upset," he said softly, a sultry teasing quality to his voice. "I know we won't have a tree all to ourselves tonight but circumstances have changed."

I raised my eyebrows and laughed, shaking my head at his audacity. "Come on," I replied, tugging on his hand. "You're lucky I'm taking pity on you in your wounded state or I might box your ears."

"Ooh, would you now?"

He pulled me toward him, leaning down to chuckle in my ear. I scrunched my nose at him and grinned.

"You better cut that out, sir. There are children present."

"Kids? I love kids. I can behave. I promise."

He looked half as innocent as he sounded. I shook my head and stretched up to kiss him before turning my attention back to Dr. Grant. I caught Lex and Tim exchanging looks and snickering. I shrugged, following the descent of the sun through the trees toward the mountains. I was finding it difficult to worry about what anyone would think of the situation I had found myself in with Ian when each passing minute was a continuous life or death mystery.

* * *

"Abby, are you awake?"

"Hmm?" I groaned groggily.

"Are you awake?"

I blinked a few times, struggling to focus my eyes. Tim was leaning over me, his big dark eyes shining. I sighed and stretched, Ian's arm tightening around my waist. We had found a cluster of tree whose roots had come up and gnarled together above ground, creating a sort of overturned basket shape. Underneath these roots is where we had taken refuge. I was cuddled up in a pile with Ian, Tim, and Lex next to Dr. Grant. I smiled at him and urged him to lie back down beside me.

"What's up?" I whispered, brushing his messy hair out of his face.

"Bad dreams," he mumbled sheepishly.

I nodded glumly and rested my forehead against his. "It's okay. I have bad dreams too, Tim. Come here."

He scooted closer, curling against my chest. I wrapped my arms around his quivering frame. In that moment, I was harshly reminded that he was just a child – Lex was just a child. I held him tightly and kissed the top of his head, really kicking myself for being so selfish as to leave him and his sister in the first place. They must have been so terrified.

"We'll be okay, Tim," I told him, hoping he could tell that I wasn't quite sure of it myself. "We'll be back to the compound in no time. It'll be much safer there, yeah? We can find Grandpa. I'm positive he's worried sick about us. He's got to be doing everything possible to get us help. You know how much he loves us." Tim nodded, closing his eyes again. "We'll keep you and your sister safe. We've got you. We've all got you."

He nodded absently, the shaking of his body easing until I felt him relax. I looked down at him, checking to make sure he was asleep. I sighed and smoothed down his hair, kissing the top of his head again. I realized how powerless I was, how ill prepared to protect him and Lex I was. The thought that they could die tonight terrified me, even more so that it was a justifiable fear. I shivered, blinking the tears from my eyes. They had seen so little of the world. How cruel would it be if…?

I shook my head firmly, squeezing my eyes shut. I would allow the thought to go no further. My stomach clenched, the taste of bile evident at the back of my throat. It was clear that my body was against that line of thinking. Still, I reached a hand out to touch Lex, making sure she was still there. Feeling the heat of her arm, I latched onto her shirt as if it would hold me firmly in place. I focused on the texture, the grit of dry mud beneath my fingers. These poor children would need years of therapy at the very least. I knew I would. After a long while, it became evident that I wasn't going to be falling back asleep. I carefully wriggled out from under Ian's arm. Scooting Tim and Lex closer to him made me feel better about sitting beside Dr. Grant, who was still awake and keeping watch, it would seem.

"You should get some rest," I whispered. "You'll be needing your strength."

He nodded and smiled tensely. "I don't think I could if I tried. Not down here."

I chuckled, looking at the roots encasing us. "Yeah… Doesn't quite feel as safe as sleeping in a tree, does it?"

He shook his head with a smile, turning over the hat in his hands. I watched him for a moment, trying to imagine how it must feel to be terrorized by something you love so much.

"Do you think anything will ever feel safe again?" I asked.

He looked at me then; really looked at me hard for the first time. I could see that he was full of determination and strength, but it didn't quite hide the crumbling of dreams reflected within his blue eyes. I felt a pang of overwhelming sympathy for him. He smiled genuinely, placing his hat back on top of his head.

"I certainly hope so."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last chapter before the Epilogue, though I am also considering doing a sequel because this is one of my favorite stories and I feel like there's a lot more to do with this. I just really love the characters! It might take a while to get started with everything else I have going on, but I'll get to it.

“Is that part of the facility?”

I looked away from Ian to crane my neck, peering down the path ahead of us. Sunlight glinted fiercely off something in the distance. I squinted, shielding my eyes.

“I can’t tell,” I answered Tim. “I think it might be. I’m not sure what part of the building it would be, though. The backside, I guess?”

“It’s gotta be,” Ian said, more to himself than to me. “I don’t imagine we’ve looped full circle to be coming up on the front.”

I nodded and smiled at my cousins hopefully. We were close. It brought me the smallest amount of relief, but I knew we couldn’t let our guard down for even a second. Still, every passing hour that brought us closer gave me that much more hope. The road eventually forked to the right, to what I presumed would be the front of the building. Keeping a watchful eye, we tried the door. It was unlocked. I almost laughed. It couldn’t really be this easy, could it? We rushed inside, quickly closing the door behind us. I strained my eyes in the dim lighting, listening hard for any sounds of movement, something that didn’t belong. 

Nothing.

There was only silence. We headed deeper inside to a banquet hall of sorts. A mural lined the left wall, clothed tabled scattered strategically around the room. Most pleasing of all, there was a buffet set up at the front of the room. As if remembering that I hadn’t eaten for the last two days or so, my stomach rumbled loudly. We glanced around at each other, the tension slowly easing.

“I should look for Ellie,” Dr. Grant said quietly. “I need to see if I can find her, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Are you sure?” I said quickly, remembering all too freshly the wild panic I felt out there in the jungle. Hearing the tremble in my voice, he smiled reassuringly.

“I won’t be gone long. Stay put. Eat something. You’ll need the energy.”

I pursed my lips and nodded, watching him go. My stomach was in knots at the thought of him going back out there by himself, but I didn’t have the heart to leave my cousins again. Not when we had finally found safety.

“Come on you two,” I continued brightly. “I know you’re probably as hungry as I am. Let’s get some food in you. Tim, easy on the sweets.” 

I popped a few grapes in my mouth with one hand, steadying Ian with my other arm around his waist. Lex and Tim talked back and forth in quiet excited voices. I had to keep checking to see that they were safe. Somehow it felt too good to be true. Ian winced, chewing on a slice of apple.

“How’s your leg?” I asked quietly.

“I’ve had worse,” he replied nonchalantly.

I chuckled. “Worse than almost losing a leg to a t-rex? You’re incorrigible.”

I chewed another grape at length, listening to Lex and Tim giggling. It felt like it had been ages since I’d heard the sound. I put my hand on Lex’s shoulder, smiling at the assortment of fruits and vegetables she was compiling.

“We’ll be right back,” I told her. “I need to get my hands cleaned up and I need to make sure Ian’s leg isn’t getting infected. There’s a bathroom right down the hall. We passed it on the way in. We’ll only be gone a few minutes. Stay alert, okay? Watch out for your brother.”

She nodded and smiled back. I could see that she was afraid to be left alone. I was proud of her for being brave. She brightened up, pointing things out to Timmy to keep his focus away from what was happening. I offered Ian my support and we hobbled our way back down the hall to the restroom. The door closed quietly behind us and I went to the sink.

“Mary mother of God,” I muttered.

I hadn’t seen my reflection since my shower the morning of the storm. If I was being quite honest with myself I looked like shit. My skin was coated with a thin layer of grime, streaked clean in places on my face from where I had cried on multiple occasions. I was cut up and bruised and my hair was dirty and greasy. My mom was going to have a kitten when she saw me. I sighed and pulled my hair back into a tighter ponytail.

“Let me take a look,” I said. “Here. Sit on the counter.”

He grimaced as he did so and I unbound his leg. I inspected it for a few minutes and took the time to rinse away the accumulated dirt and dried blood with water from the faucet. I redressed it and smiled.

“It’s looking okay. You’ll definitely still need a doctor of course, but it’s not doing too bad all things considered.”

He nodded and hopped down. “Good to know I won’t be losing my leg. Let’s take a look at your hands.”

He carefully peeled off the bandages and ran them under cool water. The burns weren’t infected and that was a plus, but they were incredibly painful and it was getting difficult to move my hands properly. We were in the middle of rewrapping my hands when I heard a sound that turned the blood in my veins to ice. I froze and looked at Ian.

“Did you hear that?” I whispered.

He looked down at me, eyes wide, and slowly nodded. Somewhere in the building the distinct snorting screech of a velociraptor echoed down the hall to us. My heart started racing. I scrambled to finish what I was doing and cracked the door open. Ian caught my arm.

“Careful,” he warned. “Go slow. You don’t know how many there are or where they are.”

I gave a sharp nod and slinked down the hall, pressing myself against the wall. I peered cautiously around the corner. The banquet hall was empty, Lex and Tim nowhere in sight. I swore under my breath, craning my neck to get a better view. I heard a crash on the far side of the room – what sounded like pots and pans. I waved Ian toward me and waited for him to reach my side. I crossed the banquet hall, scanning the passageway on the other side. A door stood open. I could hear growls and clicks coming from the room beyond. My stomach dropped to my knees and for a moment, I lost the courage to move. An ear-splitting screech made me jump, every hair on my body standing on end. I almost turned and ran right then until I heard Lex screaming. Jolting me into action, I shot forward to the doorway. There were two, one of which was perched atop the metal countertops of the kitchen they were in. The other was charging across the room toward a row of ovens. I could Lex’s reflection. She was trying to pull the cover of a cabinet down, but it was sticking. I couldn’t see Tim, but I knew he was in there somewhere. Across the room, the freezer door stood open. I took a breath and I ran for it, breezing right past the second raptor. It loosed a screech and I heard the click of its claws on the tile as it raced after me. I grabbed a pole in the freezer and swung around, skidding to a hault on the icy floor. The raptor pursuing me slid into one of the shelves, growling at me as I ran past it to slam the door shut. It launched at me, shoving against the door from the other side. Ian threw himself against the door beside me, Lex and Tim struggling to put the pin through the lock once it was closed.

“Go, go, go,” I whispered, ushering them toward the door. 

I slammed the door shut behind us, took their hands and ran back to the banquet hall. Dr. Grant and his friend Ellie were crossing the room to meet us. Relief washed over me. I was glad to see they were okay. It was good to see they had a shotgun with them, too, for that matter.

“It’s in there!” Lex hissed, pointing over her shoulder.

Dr. Grant took a quick glance around. “Come on. Let’s get to the control room. We need to get the systems back online.”

With Tim on one hand and my other supporting Ian, we followed as quickly as we could after him. I looked over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure we weren’t being pursued. Once we reached the control room, Ellie immediately bee lined for one of the computers. Dr. Grant closed the door, eying the locking mechanism. She sat down and started muttering to herself. Lex and Tim watched while she clicked around the screen.

“Sit down,” I told Ian. “Rest for a second.”

He did as I asked, the anxiety evident on his face. I squeezed his hand, praying this would all be over soon.

“The door locks,” Dr. Grant called out. “Ellie, boot up. The door locks.”

I had been wrapped up in watching Ellie work. When the door flew open and the sound of a raptor screeching reached my ears yet again, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Dr. Grant through his weight against the door, fighting to keep it shut. Ellie abandoned the computer to run to his aid. I joined them, straining against the muscle of infuriated raptor pushing to get inside.

“Get the gun!” Dr. Grant shouted. “Somebody get the gun!”

I could see its claws curling around the door. My heart was beating painfully hard in my chest, the sensation of it in my throat smothering me. Ian held it in his hands, as shaken by the shrill screams as I was. 

“I’ve uh… never used one before!” he said urgently.

Thinking on my feet, I stepped away from the door and moved around Dr. Grant. I leaned on the railing of the ramp nearby kicked straight out, crushing its fingers beneath my boot. It let out a vicious snarl, struggling to pull back with the force being exerted upon the door. It slammed shut and I heard a click, looking around in confusion. Lex, who was sitting in front of the computer, looked back at us with a triumphant grin.

“You did it!” Tim said, bouncing up and down.

“What works?” Dr. Grant asked, crossing to her. Ian obligingly passed him the gun.

“Phones, security… You name it, we got,” she replied.

I smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “Good job, Lex.”

Dr. Grant picked up the phone and I took a few seconds to catch my breath. I looked around the room to see if there was another way out. The best we had was a ladder. We could get into the ceiling and find a way out, though I wasn’t sure where exactly we would go. Tim watched me set the ladder up and climb it to move one of the tiles. I peered around, trying to get a sense of direction.

“The children are fine,” Dr. Grant said. 

I climbed back down, following Ian’s petrified gaze to the windows. On the other side, the raptor was watching us, pacing back and forth as it gauged the material between us. I waved Lex and Tim over and they came to me without question.

“Dr. Grant,” I said calmly.

Ellie must have seen the look on my face. She glanced over and stumbled back.

“It’s gonna come through the glass!” she shouted.

Dr. Grant dropped the phone, raising the shotgun in his hands. I pushed Lex and Tim up the ladder, urging Ian to follow. Dr. Grant fired at it, spent rounds clattering to the floor. He abandoned the useless gun on the floor and followed me up the ladder. I heard the shattering of glass and scrambled, uncertain of where to go. I saw an opening to the right and pointed to it.

“This way!” I shouted. “Dr. Grant, go!”

He ducked past me, scrambling under the tubing and wires. I nudged Lex and Tim forward, hurrying them onward. Lex was following when the panel beneath her lifted suddenly. She screamed, the head of the raptor thrashing about as it tried to shake her off. Dr. Grant kicked it in the face as hard as he could. Panicking, I couldn’t process what else to do. I leaned back on my hands and joined him. It lost its footing and fell through, taking Lex with it. I dove for her, catching her arm, nearly biting my tongue off in the process. Dr. Grant and Ian scrambled to help me pull her up as she dangled there screaming. I watched the raptor below wriggle from its side back to its feet, leaping into the air to miss her shoe by inches. We crawled through the duct ahead of us and down through the opening onto the scaffolding in the main hall of the main building. Blood rushed in my ears, kept my heart hammering. We were so close to safety and yet I could feel danger hot on our trail. As if on cue, a low, nasal growl erupted from behind us. I couldn’t even tell anymore how many raptors there were. It growled at us again, crouching down. There was no way down to the floor from here. The quickest thing Dr. Grant seemed to think of was to climb onto the nearby dinosaur skeleton. I helped Lex and Tim over the bars and into Dr. Grant’s waiting hands. I turned to Ian, gauging the wince on his face as he reached out. I held onto him to make sure he could get a grip before following after. I seriously doubted this thing was going to hold our weight, particularly if the twanging wires were any warning.

With a feral screech, it launched into the fray, clinging to the bones among us. The force of the impact broke apart whatever frail pieces were holding it together and sent us all spinning wildly. As the last on, I had the worst grip. I was the first to fall. It was like dropping from a two-story building onto the solid marble floor below. I grimaced and hissed at the pain, craning my neck to look up at the chaos revolving around my head like some sort of twisted mobile. Wires snapped and pulled away from the ceiling, raining bone onto the floor. I scrambled out of the way as quickly as I could. Dr. Grant was losing his grip on Tim, urging him to let go. He looked down at me as I held my arms up to him.

“I’ve got you,” I assured him. “Come on. Not even any fence this time, right?”

He reluctantly let himself drop, screaming in fear at the freefall before I caught him with a grunt of pain. The two of us tumbled to the floor in a heap. I flinched and hissed at the pain in my hands and wrists, using my elbows to push myself into a sitting position. Wires pulled at the bolts and supports in the ceiling. Lex screamed, the skeleton she was clinging to dropping a few feet. Ellie slipped and hit the floor, curling up in a ball as pieces of tail crashed down on her. I sat up on my knees, preparing to stand. The supports holding the weight of the rest of the skeleton snapped. Tim called out to me, pulling on my arm. I threw myself on top of him to shelter him from the bones crashing down around us. Luckily, the spine stopped just inches short of us. It would’ve hurt like a bitch. I laughed and took Tim’s hand, pulling Ian to his feet with the other. Lex screamed in terror, the raptor that had followed us screeching as it climbed over the remains of the skeleton. Dr. Grant took her hand, pulling her back with him to shelter her. He nearly ran into the second raptor – the one I thought I had locked in the freezer, I assumed. It let out a trilling screech at him, the two going back and forth in those sounds that I was sure would haunt my dreams. We were trapped. I picked up one of the bones, holding it in front of me defensively as I guarded my cousins. I wouldn’t go down without a fight. Not after surviving for this long.

I felt a tremor in the ground and looked over my shoulder to Ian. Judging by the way his face was quickly losing color, he felt it too. The raptors circled us, clicking, one of them crouching down as it neared us. I saw the massive head peek through the plastic of the unfinished wall across from us. We were all paralyzed by fear, helpless as we watched the scene unfolding. I flinched as the raptor made to lunge, sheltering my cousins for as long as I could. I felt arms around me, protecting me just the same. A deep, guttural growl tore through the air and the raptor let out a pained screech. I chanced a look, more than a little shocked to see that it was trapped in the jaws of the T-rex now standing in the middle of the room. It bit down hard, eliciting a shriek that was cut short. Dropping the body to the floor, it started tearing into its flesh. I looked to Dr. Grant for instruction. Should we try to sneak out while we had the chance? 

The second raptor screamed in outrage, launching at the t-rex and leaping onto its back. It roared, shaking me to my core. Dr. Grant grabbed my wrist, dragging me along behind him as he edged along the outskirts of the chaos. Ian followed, holding my other hand gingerly as he limped after me. It seemed a bit surreal, the whole thing. I looked over my shoulder, past Ian, watching the t-rex strain to grab the raptor off its shoulder. Feeling a tug on my hand, I turned away to focus on the steps as we slipped out the door into open air and sunlight. My grandfather was pulling up in one of the park jeeps, right on time, as always. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He smiled grimly, his eyes tearful in a way that I had never seen before. He squeezed my arm as I helped my cousins into the car. I slowed to give him a second look. We didn’t need to say anything. I forced a smile and squeezed his hand back, climbing into the back with Lex and Tim.

“Mr. Hammond,” Dr. Grant said as he hopped into the front seat, giving him a pointed stare. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided not to endorse your park.”

My grandpa gave a firm nod, shifting into gear. “So have I.”

Tim trembled as he sat in my lap, watching behind us with wide eyes like he expected to be chased. To be honest, I almost did as well. It wouldn’t be unwise to expect such things now. As we passed through the fences leading us to safety, I heard the t-rex roar in the distance. I shuddered involuntarily, Ian’s arm stretching across the back of the seat to rest over my shoulders. I didn’t relax in the slightest until I heard the sound of helicopter blades whirring. When the helipad came into view, I let out a relieved nervous laugh. We weren’t going to die here after all. The reality of the situation swiftly hit me in the gut, followed by an uncontrollable flow of tears that I had mostly been able to hold back until now. Once we had rolled to a stop, and my grandfather somehow managed to pry Timmy from my arms, Ian helped me out of the jeep and toward the helicopter. With how badly he was limping now it really should have been the other way around, but I was struggling back and forth between tears and hysterical laughter at the moment and I don’t imagine it was too pretty. He fastened my seatbelt for me and held my hand, wrapping a blanket around my shoulders when a medic offered one. I vaguely recall one of them saying I was going into shock (which wouldn’t be all too surprising, honestly). I must have eventually tired myself out. That’s the last thing I remember about the flight off the island, and the last thing I remember about my time at Jurassic Park.


End file.
